Breaking Point
by BooksBeforeLife
Summary: Even the strongest has a breaking point. When will Johanna Mason reach hers? The story of Johanna Mason.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story I'm writing about Johanna Mason. It will start with the reaping and go who knows how long. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: You should know everyone I own and everyone I don't. **

"Aqua," I whisper, "You need to wake up. It's reaping day." I gently shake my little sister awake. Her dark brown eyes, which are the exact same color as mine, flutter open as I push her red-brown hair out of her face.

She looks almost exactly like me when I was her twelve. Her hair stops just above her shoulders. Mine was that length when I was twelve, but now it comes down to the middle of my rib cage. We both have very big eyes. They're too big for our faces.

Most mornings Richard and I cut down trees and sell them to the factory but reaping morning is different. The reaping in District Seven is earlier than most other district's reapings. It's at 9:30 and so in order to get ready everyone has to wake up around 6:30.

"I hung up your dress in the closet," I tell her. "I'm gonna take a bath now, okay?"

"Okay, JoJo, thanks," she says as she sits up. I walk into our tiny bathroom and strip out of my pajamas.

The cold water stings my skin but I don't mind. District Seven doesn't exactly have very many luxuries unless you're a victor.

After I get out of the tub I comb through my wet hair before putting on a long yellow dress. I put my hair into a bun and stare into my mirror.

I've been told that I'm very pretty, but I've never been able to see it. I'm quite short, only 5'2" and I'm really skinny.

I straighten my dress and smile at the fact it isn't sleeveless. I don't have anything against sleeveless dresses but it's a sunny day and my skin burns really easily.

"JoJo," Aqua whispers to me as she peeks around the bathroom door.

"Yes?" I ask her.

"Would you wake up Jordan? He doesn't like when I do it," she replies.

"Of course, but you should get ready," I tell her. She nods and I leave the bathroom.

Most girls my age think twelve-year-olds are innocent and adorable. I'd like to say that too, but it isn't true. A few twelve-year-olds really are innocent but most aren't. They've grown up in fear of the reaping and they've heard stories. Many have even been harassed. District Seven is a sick place.

I walk into Jordan's room and ruffle his blond locks. He opens his eyes and smiles at me. He looks a lot like Dad even though he's only ten.

Our dad abandoned us when I was twelve. Aqua and Jordan barely remember him but I have every move he ever made trapped in my brain. He cheated on Mom and I was the only one who knew about it. I was never brave enough to tell Mom but I can still remember the way he would completely take advantage of her. She was only a few years older than I am now. I see her around the district sometimes. Now, she works as a maid for the richer people of District Seven. I hate that fucking home-wrecker.

"Get dressed," I order, "You have to watch the reaping with Mom."

He wearily gets out of bed and I walk into the kitchen. Mom is sitting at the kitchen table, shakily drinking coffee.

"Please don't act like this," I say to her, "Aqua will have a panic attack."

"You know I can't help it but I'll try," she tells me.

I nod and walk over to the stove. I cook some scrambled eggs and put them on the table. I force myself to eat two of them because I know I need the carbs.

"Let's go," I tell Aqua, "We can't be late."

Aqua is wearing a dark blue dress that is ends about three inches above her knee. She has her hair down and it's brushed out.

Most kids go to the reaping with their friends and whisper about all the reasons they might be reaped but I don't. I might, if I had any friends but since I don't I usually go alone. Most people would kill themselves if they didn't have any friends but I know the reason I don't have any friends. Everyone is afraid of me. I'm a bitch and I know it. I love my family, excluding my dad, but that's all.

I hear a girl a few years younger than me whisper to her sister, "If you get reaped I promise I'll volunteer!"

I hardly stifle a laugh. You can't promise that. You'll only know in the heat of the moment. You could be set on not volunteering for anyone and then if a sibling gets reaped panic sets in and you volunteer. You could also tell yourself you'd volunteer for a friend or sibling but when they actually get reaped fear sets in and you freeze up. You just never know.

I let the peacekeeper prick my finger and I walk to the female sixteen-year-olds' section. Our escort, Francine, starts the speech she makes every year and I count all the blisters I have on my hands from swinging the axe all day.

I force myself to pay attention as the escort walks up to the girls' reaping bowl. I wonder what poor, pathetic girl is going to be sent to the slaughter this year.

"And the lucky girl is . . . Johanna Mason."

Oh, fuck. Of course it's me. I force myself to think as I burst into tears. I'm so small it should be easy to act like a wimp. Plus, it'll be fun to drive my mentors crazy.

I shakily walk up to the stage and continue sobbing. The boy that gets picked is a year younger than me but very big. He's a good foot taller than me and muscled. He walks up to the stage showing no emotion.

We're taken to the justice building and Aqua, Jordan, and my mom come into the room. Mom hugs me and whispers, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I state simply.

"We brought you this," Aqua says quietly as she pulls out a little blue ring attached to a some thread. She wraps the necklace around my neck and ties it.

"Thank you," I tell her, "It's beautiful."

Her face brightens slightly at this. "You like it?" she asks.

"I _love _it," I tell her. "I love all of you guys."

"I love you too," Jordan says, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Don't cry," I order gently, "You'll make me cry."

He nods and gives me a hug. The peacekeeper comes in and forces them to leave. The next person who comes in surprises me.

"I didn't expect," I say to him. "Why did you come?"

"Because, even though I hate you, I've worked with you for a few years and I felt like I needed to say goodbye," Richard tells me.

"Bye," I snap.

"Bitch," he mutters on his way out.

"You have one more visitor," the peacekeeper tells me as he pulls the door open.

"Fuck off," I tell the man who walks through the door, "I hate you."

"Johanna, you're my daughter," he says, "You are just mad that I cheated on your mom."

"No," I say, "I hate you because you abandoned us. I hate you because the girl you cheated on mom with was my age when you slept with her. I _saw_ you with her! I got home early one day and saw you. She was eighteen!"

"I didn't know you knew that," he whispers.

"I lived with it for months before she caught you! I felt sick every time I saw you," I yell.

"I just wanted you to know I'm upset you got reaped."

"Fuck you."

He leaves and with that I dig my fingers into my eyeballs, forcing tears out of my eyes.

**Here's the first chapter! Hope you liked it! Please review, follow, and favorite. **


	2. Chapter 2

As I sit on the bed in my new room on the train, I think about my conversation with my dad. Should I have acted the way I did? He was the best dad I could have asked for until I was nine. After that, he started getting weird and distant. That was probably when he started cheating on Mom.

My best memory of my dad is when he taught me how to use an axe. I was seven and he brought me into the woods. In most of the districts the woods are off limits, but District Seven is different because it's main industry is lumber. Anyway, he taught me how to hold the axe, swing it with the correct angle and power, and how it will work best depending on the type of tree.

"Johanna," Francine says as she knocks on the door, "It's time for dinner. You need to come out, now."

"I'll be out in a minute," I sniff as I dig my fingers into my eyes, making them red. I walk out of the room and into the dining-car. I sit at the table next to the escort and the boy who got reaped; I still don't know his name.

"I believe some introductions are in order," Francine states cheerily, "I'm Francine, but you probably already knew that."

She nods at the male mentor and he says, "I'm Romulus and this is Chantel." He gestures to the female victor as he says Chantel. It takes all my willpower not to laugh at their names.

"Now introduce yourself to your mentors," Francine orders.

"I am Gavon, Gavon Barkley," he tells everyone. _Barkley! _The names in District Seven are horrible.

"I'm Johanna," I whisper.

"Well then, Johanna, Chantel will be your mentor and Gavon, yours will be Romulus," Francine tells us.

"Gavon, what are some of your strengths?" Romulus asks.

"I'm good with knives and cooking." _Well, no shit. Your Dad's the butcher. _"I'm pretty strong and I know how to build a fire. I'm fast, intelligent, clever, . . ." Gavon goes on and on about his "skills", so I just sit there and wait.

"Okay," Chantel cuts him off and turns to me, "What skills do you have?"

"I-I can climb trees," I whimper. Chantel shakes her head disapprovingly.

A brown-haired avox boy comes in carrying a huge plate of food. He's followed by another avox boy holding an even bigger plate of food and drinks.

I take one of everything and in the end I have two, full plates and four glasses. I pick up a glass full of a clear but sort of tan liquid. I take one sip and I spit it out over my shoulder.

Francine giggles. "Johanna, dear, that tequila might be a bit strong for you."

I shrug and take a bite of an oddly shaped, crunchy thing. It tastes like a little drop of heaven. "This is really good!" I announce.

"Everything in the Capitol is," Francine smiles. _Except the tequila_, I think.

I eat the rest of my food in silence while I listen to Francine and Romulus talk to Gavon. Chantel just glares at me, and in order to annoy her, I let out an occasional whimper.

"Why don't we watch the recap of the reaping," Chantel says after my fifth or sixth whimper, "Let's see what you think about the competition."

I walk to the couch, sit down, and bring my legs up to my chest. Francine says something and the TV turns on.

I try to remember everyone but only a few tributes stick with me. The girl from District One is huge and has an evil glint in her eyes. The boy from Four has muscles the size of my head and a wicked smile. The girl from District Six is only twelve and her whole body shakes as she walks up to the stage. The only other person I remember is the boy from Twelve, he cries during the reaping. I find it highly unlikely that he's like me and merely acting but you never know.

"So, what do you think of the other tributes?" Romulus asks.

"The Careers look pretty threatening, but that was expected. The boy from Nine is more of a threat than I thought he would be," Gavon says.

The boy from Nine looked far too stupid to be a threat. "What about you, Johanna?" Francine asks.

"They all look pretty intimidating," I reply in a timid voice.

"She's a lost cause," Chantel sighs, "Hopeless."

_What a bitch! _"I-I'm sorry," I sob.

"Why don't you just go to bed," Romulus shakes his head at me, clearly annoyed, and I get up and go to my room. The next three weeks are going to be horrible. I hate my act. I don't like being treated like some useless piece of trash.

I slip out of the sweatpants and T-shirt I've been wearing and I fall asleep.

"Wake up!" Francine yells through the door. "We're arriving in the Capitol today!"

I'm considering yelling at her to fuck off but that wouldn't really fit in with my act, so I drag myself out of bed and into the shower.

"What the-" I start as I press a green button and a weird pink foam comes out. I rinse it off and continue to mess around with the controls until I figure out how to get shampoo and soap.

I step out of the shower and back into my room. I put on a pair of skinny jeans and a flowing, green top. I comb through my hair and put it in a high ponytail.

I walk out of my room and into the dining-car. There isn't as much food as there was last night, but there's still plenty. I grab a ton of food and a cup of coffee and indulge myself.

"So, the opening ceremonies are tomorrow night. We expect you to be very polite to your prep team and stylist. We don't care what they do to you. They can get you sponsors, so do _not_ complain or cry. It _will_ hurt but that doesn't matter," Chantel explains._In that case, I'll be sure to complain and cry as much as possible._

I'm ready to give everyone a whole lot of shit.

**I'm back! So sorry for not updating in so long but my computer crashed and Microsoft Word was destroyed along with all of my documents! I still don't have Word but I found out about Google Documents and so know I can update again! Please review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow," I exclaim genuinely as I look around the floor in the tributes' building. The main hall is made entirely of white marble. There are twelve paintings hanging around the hall. "It's beautiful!"

"Yes and it's going to be your home for the next week," Francine announces, "I'll show you your rooms."

"This place is huge," Gavon states as we walk into the sitting room. The floor is black granite and the walls are a dark wood, except for one which is all glass and has a balcony on the outside. There's a white, flat screen TV hanging from the wall and there is a dark blue couch in front of the television. Next to the couch is a yellow double chair (a chair too big to be a chair but too small to be a couch, seats 2 people), in a diagonal in order to face the TV. A glass coffee table sits in front of the couch and a white rug is underneath it.

"Indeed," Francine smiles and giggles, "It's quite amazing.

Next, we see the dining room. The chairs are like nothing I've ever seen. They have a very abstract design and are bright green. The table is glass and there's the world's biggest chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

At the back of the room is a hallway. My room is the first door on the left and Gavon's is across the hall.

I smile as I enter the room. The comforter is dark green with rough, thin, brown lines. I walk over to the bed and push down- memory foam. The side table is a dark light wood and there's a digital clock. On the other side is a tall, abstract lamp. There's a closet on the wall closest to the lamp. There's also a full length mirror next to the closet.

I see a button on the wall and press it. The bleak, gray walls instantly change to show the justice building in District Seven. There are people hurrying to get to wherever they're going. I press it again and I see Capitolites scurrying around outside the tributes' building. I roll my eyes and press it again. The walls become the forest in District Seven. "This is more like it."

I hear a knock on the door. "Come in," I say.

Gavon opens the door and steps inside. "I like your walls."

"Thanks," I reply awkwardly, "Why are you here?"

"I need to ask you something."

"Shoot," I tell him.

"Why did you cry?" he asks me, "And why are you acting like this? You're the biggest bitch in District Seven! If you think it'll get you more sponsors you'd be wrong! Acting the way you really are would make people think you're strong and tough!"

I guess I'm going to have to drop my act for two minutes to "explain" some things. "Listen up, you little fucker. You don't know my backstory. You don't know my family. You don't know anything. You don't get to question me! Understood?" He nods, slightly taken aback. "Good and I swear if you say a word about my act I will cut you up, limb by limb. You really should think before you say something stupid."

"Johanna, it's time for lunch," Francine calls. "Come on out."

"I'm coming," I say in a sweet voice. I flip Gavon off before walking out of the room.

I sit down in the dining room and, once again, eat more than I should. "You're going to your prep team now," Romulus tells Gavon and me. "They'll meet you on the bottom floor. Not floor one but the lobby."

I stand up and walk to the elevators with Gavon at my side. He looks down to me and says, "You're really short."

"No shit but I'm still growing," I scowl.

"Touchy," he murmurs.

"What did I tell you about thinking before you speak," I snap and he looks at the floor. "That's what I thought."

He's silent for the next few feet to the elevator. I press the lobby button and feel the elevator glide down. The tributes from four get on with us when we get to their floor. I stand in the corner, pretending to be more intimidated by them than I actually am.

"So," the girl says, "What're your names?"

"I'm Gavon Barkley," Gavon introduces, "And this is Johanna Mason." He gestures to me. "We're the District Seven tributes."

"I'm Jemi and this is Tiran," she tells us, "We're from Four."

"Good to meet you," Gavon says and I nod at them shakily.

"What's up with you?" Tiran asks me. "You're not saying anything and you're shaking."

"I-I'm fine," I stutter.

Gavon rolls his eyes. I shoot him a quick death glare and he gets the message. I melt back into my corner and no one speaks until the elevator doors open.

The scene I see is chaos. There are a ton of prep teams awaiting their tributes. One set spots Gavon and ushers him away and a set standing next to them grab my arm and pull me along.

"Hello," One woman on my prep team with purple hair exclaims, "I'm Incuchu, my friend with the green hair is Chrystla, and my associate with the gold eyes is Midus. We're your prep team!"

"I'm Johanna," I say quietly, "It's nice to meet you."

"Your stylist, Ferman, has a perfect costume for you! You'll look stunning," Midus tells me excitedly.

"Our job is to prepare you for meeting your stylist," Chrystla says, "Come along!" They drag me to a white room, give me a robe to change into, and lay me down on a metal bed.

I get a brief image of a Capitol torture chamber but it quickly exits my mind. I'm never gonna be locked in one of those.

Crystla sticks some sort of tape on my leg. "What's that?" I ask.

"It's the quickest way to make you smooth," Crystla giggles before yanking it off. "That hurt!" I yelp.

"It's for the best," Midus tells me, "You're just so hairy!" Crystla yanks off another piece of tape. "OUCH!"

"Listen, dear, either you can make this hard on all of us or you can be silent," Incuchu snaps at me.

I merely whimper during the rest of my "prepping" and my prep team eventually goes to get my stylist.

I fiddle with my robe while I wait for my stylist. When he walks in, he eyes me skeptically before telling me to take off my robe. He looks at me carefully in a way that would make anyone except uncomfortable. I'm confident about my body.

"I can work with this," he says simply. "You can put your robe back on, now."

I wrap the robe around me and he applies makeup to my face. He then puts my hair up and tells me to close my eyes and he puts a heavy costume over my head.

"You look beautiful," Ferman tells me, "You can open your eyes!"

I look at myself in the mirror. I'm a freaking tree. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He exclaims as he put a headdress.

I burst into tears, smiling inside. "What's the matter?" Ferman asks.

"I-I'm a tree!" I sob.

"You look amazing," he says annoyed. "A showstopper." I just keep crying.

He takes me to the chariots. Most of the tributes are already there, including Gavon. I walk over to our chariot and nod to him.

"You look stupid," he mutters at me.

"So do you," I say, gesturing toward his identical costume.

Thankfully, most of the tributes stick to themselves and so before I know it, we're being ushered onto the chariot. "Don't make a fool of yourself," Chantel warns me. _Of course I won't! I'll do far worse!_

The District One tributes burst through the gates and the crowd cheers in approval. They're always popular.

Then comes Districts 2,3,4,5, and 6. Well, it's now or never. Time for me to make a "good" impression.

**That is the end of this chapter! It's a sucky ending but still the ending. I spent a while writing this chapter and it takes like two minutes to read so would it really be that hard to review?**


	4. Chapter 4

The crowds' cheering dims as the District Seven chariot appears through the gates. I take this as my queue to start sobbing. The crowd looks puzzled by my reaction but gets over it as soon as District Eight appears.

As we approach President Snow, my crying slows to mere sniffles but it had the impact I hoped for.

He gives his usual speech and we're taken back to the tributes building. The ride on the elevator is painfully slow. None of the tributes say anything and Gavon and I just wait until we reach floor seven.

After the elevator doors close, Chantel slaps the outside of my head. "Ow," I complain loudly, "Why'd you do that?"

"You goddamn cried," she shouts at me, "No one has _ever_ fucking cried. When you get into the games I just know you'll be the first to die!"

"Chantel," Francine cries, appalled, "You're the girl's mentor! Grow up a little! She's doing her best! Just go to your room and calm down!"

I walk off sobbing and slam the door. I'll show that bitch. I hop into the shower and run my fingers through my wet hair.

I get out of the shower and dry my hair with a towel. I put on a short, light purple dress with long sleeves and a scoop neck.

I look at my walls and allow a slight smile. Out of the corner of my eyes I see movement. Then I see an axe swing and a tall, muscular man in his mid-forties. I've seen this man around the district. He's a really awful man. He's a drunkard and he's been accused of harassing multiple teenage girls. Once he tried to harass me, but I smacked him and told him to fuck off.

It's this man's appearance that makes me realize that this is a live image. It's a connection to home. Not that I like District Seven, but it's familiar. Familiar is safe.

I move the mirror to block the button so I'm never tempted to change it. I leave my hair down and brush it out.

"Johanna, it's time for dinner," Francine says quietly. "Please, come out of your room. You should eat."

_I was planning on that, idiot. I can take shit from some bitch._ "I'll be out in a minute," I call through the door.

I walk out and sit at the table. "Johanna, you look very pretty tonight," Francine tells me.

"Thank you," I smile, "Where's Chantel?" I motion to the empty chair at the table.

"She's still settling down. I'm sorry about her. She can get kind of . . . well . . . rude," she says to me.

"It's okay, but am I really . . . that bad? I really try! I don't want to disappoint anyone. Why is everyone so upset?" I sob.

"Oh my god," Gavon scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"Is there something you'd like to add, Gavon?" Romulus asks him.I give him a look that reads: _I swear to god if you say anything you'll die a slow and painful death._

"She's just so hopeless," he swallows hard. "Why haven't you given up on her? She's pathetic."

"That is so rude! Why would you say that to the poor girl? Just because it's true doesn't give you the right to say it," Romulus sort of defends me.

Chantel walks out of her room and takes a seat at the table. "Your training starts tomorrow," she starts, "Show off your skills as best you can. Try to go to the weapons stations because you'll need those. Knives are usually in the arena so be sure to try those. Don't avoid the survival stations. You'll need those if you want to live."

"If you want to watch the recap of the chariot rides, come to the living room. If not, go get some rest because training starts tomorrow," Romulus says to Gavon and me.

I fall asleep almost instantly.

"WAKE UP!" Francine screams through the door. "TRAINING IS STARTING TODAY! YOU HAVE A HALF-HOUR TO EAT AND GET TO THE BASEMENT!"

I fall out of bed . . . literally. I roll over and fall on my face. "UHHH," I groan as I hit the floor. I crawl up the wall until I get to my feet.

I comb my hair, put it in a ponytail, put on the outfit that has been laid out for me, and slip my token around my neck. I step into the hall and into the dining room. I eat what I usually eat in silence and Francine eventually escorts us to the training center.

The woman giving the instructions is horrendously ugly. She gives her useless speech and I run off as soon as she finishes. On my way, I trip over some buckets of paint and smile to myself as the Careers snicker. _I'm off to a good start._

I get to my feet and go to the knife station. Two Careers- the girl from 2 and the boy from 1- are already there.

The first time I throw, the knife lands three feet in front of me. The boy laughs at me. I throw it again, far too hard, and it sail two feet to the left of the dummy. Both of the Careers smile evilly and turn away. I think I've proved my point.

Next, I try an obstacle course. I intentionally slip and fall five feet, onto my side. I go on like that for the rest of the morning.

When lunch comes, I sit alone at a table in the corner until the boy from Nine . "Hey," he says with an obnoxious smile.

"Hi," I say back.

"I'm Brocker," he tells me, "I'm from District Nine. Mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," I lie.

I look around the room. Gavon- the idiot he is- is sitting with the Careers. He probably thinks that because he's tall and muscular. They're probably going to kill him after they use him.

"So," Brocker starts, "What's your story?"

"What do you mean?" I ask cautiously.

"What was your life like growing up? Tell me about your childhood," he replies.

"I had a perfect childhood," I lie, "I don't know what I did to deserve this."

"You poor thing," he reaches over and touches my arm, suggesting something slightly more than comfort. _Wow_, I think, _it's going to be a long week._

**Hey! This is pretty random but if you are ever looking for a good book I'd recommend the H.I.V.E. series or the seven kingdoms trilogy. I've read almost all of both series' and they're both really good. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions please review. If not, review anyway so I feel good about my writing! **


	5. Chapter 5

The next two days pass similar to the first day. Brocker flirts with me and drives me insane. I fail over and over again. Gavon thinks he's one of the Careers. Same old stuff.

Before my private session I'm a lot less normal than most people. It's harder to do well than it is to do badly. Most of them are shaking and whimpering. I am too, but that's for my act.

When my name gets called, I walk into the room shakily. I trip over the leg of a table. The gamemakers snicker. _Good start_, I tell myself.

I walk over and grab a knife. I throw it and it flies far away from the dummy. I try again with the same effect.

I try to shoot an arrow but it hits a table and shatters it, sending everything on it down with a clang.

After that incredible failure,I go to camouflage but it just looks like a bunch of squiggly lines. It's only a minute before one of the gamemakers says, "You are dismissed Ms. Mason."

I walk out and can't resist the smile that forms on my face. I wipe it away before the elevator and I ride up to my floor.

"How'd it go?" Chantel asks glumly, expecting the answer I give. "Well, that's just dandy! I'm now going to the bar car to drink away my sorrows!"

I go to my room and take a nap. It feels really good to sleep. Francine calls me out to see the scores in a few hours.

The Careers average between seven and nine. No tens this year. Most of the others average a five. Gavon gets a six.

Now, for the moment of truth. My face pops up on the screen and the number appears under it. Two.

_Damn it! _I yell in my mind. _I really wanted a one!_ I get off the couch and storm back to my room. I slam the door shut and scream at the first thing I see- the wall.

I scream again and throw my shoe at it. I never thought I'd have to see this again. It's my dad. He's making out with a girl who is three years _younger_ than me. I scream over and over again at the wall.

In my moment of panic, I can't remember what I hid the switch behind. I continue screaming but I also tear apart the room looking for it.

Francine, Romulus,Chantel, and Gavon all dash in looking concerned. "Oh my," Francine exclaims at the sight of my room. A ton of things knocked onto the floor, my dresser is a disaster, and there are two people making out on the wall.

Francine quickly finds the switch and changes the wall scenery. I collapse onto my bed, still screaming.

Gavon grabs one of my arms and Chantel grabs the other. Romulus presses my legs down onto the bed.

Francine stands over me until I stop screaming. _What's wrong with you!?_ I mentally scold myself. _That was a moment of actual weakness! You're pathetic! You can't let the scared girl you were when you were younger show through!_

"Johanna, dear, what's the matter?" Francine strokes my hair out of my face and Chantel and Romulus roll their eyes. Gavon looks taken aback. "That was a horrible man! I'm sorry you had to see that. That girl was so young!"

"I shouldn't have reacted like that. I'm sorry," I sob, "It's not the first time. Far from it actually. I just . . . didn't expect I'd ever have to see it again. He's probably paying her. She's . . . not poor but she isn't rich either."

"Gavon?" Romulus asks gently, "You look like you've been shot. What's the matter?"

"Th-that was my little sister . . . I-I thought she was more pure than this. She's always been so sweet. But now . . ." he trails off. "She's fucking thirteen years old!"

"No one is pure in District Seven," I mutter.

"What about you, Johanna?" Chantel asks mockingly, "Why did you react the way you did? What's so important about that?"

"He's my dad," I grit my teeth, trying to control my rising temper. "I caught him cheating on my mother when I was eleven. He left when I was twelve."

For a brief moment, Gavon and I lock eyes. The message is clear. This is what District Seven is. District Seven is sadness, despair, and old fuckers messing with young poor people. Eleven and Twelve are horrible and poor but they're nothing compared to Seven. In that one moment, I realize how sick District Seven really is.

**Sorry for the really short chapter but I have an excuse! I am in a really bad mood today because of Thanksgiving! I'm a **_**really**_** picky eater and I don't like any Thanksgiving food. So, when we were eating I was just sitting at the table, watching everyone eat! The only thing that kept me from going totally insane was the fact that I got to go to my friend, Jack's, house for dessert. Then, they didn't have any desserts I liked. This is totally my fault but because of this I am starving because I haven't eaten anything in ten hours and I am starving! Plus, my family is really annoying and I had to deal with them. Anyway, I hope you had a better Thanksgiving than me and please review! Crappy Thanksgiving!**


	6. Chapter 6

"WAKE UP! CHANTEL, ROMULUS, AND I HAVE TO TRAIN YOU FOR THE INTERVIEWS! GET UP!" Francine screams through the door.

I crawl out of my bed, still embarrassed from my little freak out last night. I put on jeans and a green long-sleeved shirt.

I go to the dining room and eat a quick breakfast. "Johanna," Romulus tells me, "You'll start with Francine. Gavon will work with us and after lunch we'll switch."

"Should we start?" Francine chirps.

We all split and I follow Francine to my room. She pulls out a pair of seven-inch heels from her purse and shoves them on my feet.

"Walk for me," Francine tells me. Unlike most district girls I actually do know how to walk in heels. My mom taught me when I was little. Seven-inch is tough but I can still do it. Of course, I can't let her know that I can do anything right.

I shakily walk two steps before falling on my face. I get up and try again. "Close your legs," Francine instructs. "It's likely you'll be wearing a short dress plus you'll be on an elevated stage. You don't want to flash all of Panem."

I move so my legs are only two inches apart from each other and don't even make it a step before falling again.

I try three more times before I can shakily walk five steps. "GOOD!" Francine exclaims, "That's the farthest you've gone without falling! Let's keep it up!"

After another hour she says I'm "the best I'm going to get" and we move on to my smile- apparently it's "unacceptable!"

I smile like a crazy person and Francine frowns. "Not so much."

We pretty much continue this way until lunch and my face hurts like hell.

"Now we'll take Johanna," Chantel mutters.

"How old are you?" I ask randomly. Her face today makes her look sixty.

"Twenty-seven. Why?"

"Just curious," I smile sweetly.

"THAT'S THE SMILE!" Francine exclaims loudly. "THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR! DO _THAT_ DURING INTERVIEW!"

"Okay, time to go," Romulus gets up from the table and Chantel and I follow him. They sit down on my bed and I sit on the floor leaning against the wall.

"Johanna, you're gonna have to be mysterious. Act like that two was far from your actual ability but refuse to give any more details. Answer with clever smiles. Let's practice."

"So, Johanna, what do you have to say about that two? Was that really the best you have to offer?" Romulus mimics Caesar Flickerman.

"Yes- I mean no. I can do a lot better. All I did was throw some knives- I mean . . . nothing!" I pretend to be flustered.

"She just went against everything we told her to do," Chantel shakes her head in Romulus's direction. "Should we try a new strategy?"

"How 'bout sweet?" Romulus turns his attention to me. "Same question. Go."

"Of course it was my best effort, why would I fake it?" I say pathetically. "Even so, does it matter? The scores don't decide who wins."

"Not that," Chantel replies instantly. "Charming, maybe? Go."

"That would be telling now wouldn't it," I raise my eyebrows in a "charming" way. "I don't believe that's how the games work."

"Tough," Romulus suggests sadly.

"Hell, no! I'm gonna get out there and kick some rear-ends!" _Smooth._

"Rear-ends? Even if that wasn't the most pathetic one yet the word would be ass," Chantel scolds.

"Ass is an _unladylike _word that does not need to be used," I say "appalled."

"Oh dear God," Chantel facepalms, "Try the last one. Be sexy."

"Oh, Caesar, just like a girl can't kiss and tell a girl mustn't tell anyone what she did or didn't do in her private session."

"This is hopeless. Just be your useless, pathetic self," Chantel throws her hands in the air. "Die first in the bloodbath for all I care! Get the ball rolling!"

They both storm out and I take a shower. I put my hair in two braids and lay down until Francine yells at me through my door.

_It's a miracle,_ I think, _My stylist made me look really beautiful._

I'm wearing a dark green dress with a matching headband. The dress is layered and the fabric is very soft. It's strapless and ends just above my mid-thigh. It's a breathtaking dress. My shoes are black with three inch heels with a bow on the toes. My hair is down- hanging loose down my back and it's curled.

"Wow," I say breathlessly. " I look . . . wow!

"I'm glad you like it but no more admiring yourself. The interviews start in about ten minutes and you have to be there!" my stylist- whose name I don't remember- tells me.

I hurry outside and I see most of the other tributes already there. Gavon takes a sharp breath when he sees me.

"What?" I scowl when I realize no one's watching.

"Your dress is very . . .revealing." My dress happens to show a lot of cleavage.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Nothing," he turns away, blushing and I roll my eyes. "Idiot," I mutter.

Romulus and Chantel walk past us and remind Gavon what they taught him. The don't even look at me._ Well, fuck you! I never liked you anyway!_

I swear when I win I will give those assholes a piece of my mind.

Before too long we're lined up and waiting for our interviews. Both of the tributes from One go for sexy and the rest of the Careers go with tough. Six goes sweet and mysterious and Three and Five go charming.

Finally, I'm called up to the stage. I carefully trip on the steps leading to the stage and fall on my face- possibly flashing a few members of the audience.

I make my way to the chair and shakily sit down. "So, Johanna, that's a beautiful dress! Hats off to Ferman!" _That's his name!_

"Thanks. I like it too," I reply quietly.

"So, was that Two really the best you have to offer? Are you keeping something from us?" Caesar asks me.

I tear up and water drips out of my eyes. "I-I tried. I don't know what to say! I really, _really_ tried! I-I'm sorry!" By the end of the sentence I'm full out bawling. Caesar can't get me to answer any more questions in the next three minutes. I'm just that talented.

**So sorry for the delayed update! I've been really busy and I have to go to New Orleans on Friday! Anyway, I **_**did**_ **update so **_**you **_**should review!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Ten**_

_What if I was wrong? What if they just see me as an easy target?_

_**Nine**_

_Well, there's not going to be any sponsors on my side._

_**Eight**_

_I am so screwed!_

_**Seven**_

_Holy fuck! What was I thinking!?_

_**Six**_

_This was a horrible decision._

_**Five**_

_I should have acted like a badass!_

_**Four**_

_Why didn't I think about this before right now?_

_**Three**_

_I'm an idiot._

_**Two **_

_What's wrong with me?_

_**One**_

_There's no turning back now . . ._

_**BANG!**_

Thank god it's a forest. If not, I wouldn't have been able to use trees for transportation and rest. So, in other words, if it wasn't a forest I'd die.

I dash to the trees and jump up onto a low branch. I do a chin-up and climb onto the next branch. I continue this pattern until I'm nearly ninety feet off the ground.

I adjust my position so I have a good view of the Bloodbath. The girl from Six and the boy from Twelve are both dead and I see at least six other dead tributes and people are still fighting. I don't see Gavon immediately and I hope that he ditched the Careers but then I see him next to the girl from Four, Jemi.

I jump about two feet to the next tree and continue for a couple hours until I feel like I'm a safe distance.

I get as comfortable as you can get in a tree and smile. I'm so glad that I have dark hair and am wearing a black jumpsuit. I'll blend right in, tonight.

Eleven cannons. Eleven deaths. Eleven children who were full of life a week ago will never be heard from again. All of them murdered.

I grasp my token and wait until it gets dark. I'll find food and water tomorrow morning. The anthem begins and I look to the sky. I can see everything perfectly from my spot in the tree.

The first face to appear is the boy from Three. He's followed by the girl. Next, is the girl from Five. Both from Six. The boy and girl from Eight. The Ten boy. The boy from Eleven. And, finally, both from Twelve.

"Well, look at that, Chantel," I whisper to myself, "Look who's still alive."

I hear a rustling sound a few hundred yards away from me and freeze. In a minute, the Careers and Gavon become visible.

"We haven't found anyone yet!" one of them- probably the girl from Two- complains.

"Be patient," the girl from One, whose name I now know is Angel, appears to have taken control. "We'll find someone. For all we know there could be someone in that tree!" She points to a tree that is two places away from mine and I inhale sharply.

They walk in the opposite direction and I exhale. Before too long, I'm asleep.

The next morning I awake to an aching throat and an empty stomach. I shouldn't have eaten as much as I did in the Capitol because now I feel sick. I climb out of my tree and I wander around for a bit.

I come across a bush with berries on it. I didn't spend any time at the edible berries station so I pick around twenty and cautiously bite on it. I don't die instantly so I eat a few more before weaving a little bag thing out of sticks and leaves. I shove most of the berries in there and I head off in search of water.

The berries quench my thirst a bit but only slightly. By the time I find water I collapse to my knees and scoop it up in my hands. I drink a few more mouthfuls before sighing.

I try to make a canteen out of leaves but it doesn't work so I decide I should stay here for as long as I can.

I hear a twig snap behind me and spin around. I see Brocker standing there with his stupid, cocky grin and I fakely smile back at him.

"Hey," he says, "Want to be allies?"

_I'd rather die_, I tell myself but instead I respond, "It couldn't hurt."

"Did you get anything at the Cornucopia?" he asks me and I shake my head. He passes me too axes and the person inside of me yells, _YES! _My chances at winning just got 60% better. "I'm not good with them anyway."

"Oh, really?" I question, "Well, I am." I slice his head off in one clean movement. I can almost see Chantel and Romulus's shocked faces watching me in their control room.

A cannon booms. "It's called an act, Brocker," I say to the corpse. "You should try it sometime. Oh, Chantel," I gesture to the sky, "Why don't you just go fuck yourself?"

All of my guts disagree with my tough exterior, however, and I vomit up the little food left in my stomach.

I grab a canteen he was holding but that's all I can make myself take. I walk away from Brocker's body feeling sick. That kid had a family. Maybe he had three little sister's he needed to take care of. Maybe his father is dying from some sort of illness and he was their only hope of getting medicine.

_I have a family too_, I remind myself. _Mom, Aqua, and Jordan need me to take care of them! I can't let Aqua take on that responsibility!_

But that doesn't take away from the twisted feeling in my gut, though. I just murdered an innocent boy. I shake away that feeling. If I want to win this I can't think like that.

The hovercraft takes his body and I go fill up the canteen and restock on berries. After that, I leave. I can't stay. Everywhere I look I see Brocker's head.

I run and run until I'm gasping for air. By that time, it's sunset so I scurry up a tree. About halfway up, I hear a boom that makes me jump.

Tonight the only faces are Brocker and Gavon.

**And the games have begun! I thought I was going to have Johanna ditch her act later but now felt like a good time so I did it! I tried to make Johanna's feelings on how horrible the games are clear this chapter and I think I did a pretty good job. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Gavon's death hits me pretty hard. He was the only person out here from home. The only good thing about it is that there's only ten people that stand in my way. The bad part about that is that ten people have to die for my to get out of here.

A silver parachute drops by my feet and I scoop it up. Inside is a sandwich and a water purifier.

"Hey, idiot," I yell to the sky, "Save the little sponsor money I have to when I really need it! Idiot!" I wave my food in the air before climbing up a tree incase someone heard me.

I eat my sandwich and think, _Why couldn't Chantel send me a sleeping bag? That would be so much more useful than a sandwich and water purifier._

I hear a faint buzzing over my head and look up. A few feet away is a bug that I've never seen before. It must be a mutt. I stuff my sandwich in my mouth and shove my plate and purifiers in my bag. I hook the canteen on the strap and start jumping through the trees.

I keep going for a while, having nothing better to do. I barely manage to keep hold of a branch when I hear two cannons boom in a row. It's day three and we're down to nine tributes. These games aren't going to last very long.

"Dumbass," I mutter to myself when I cut my finger on a thorn. "Mmmm." I bring my bloody finger to my mouth.

This whole thing sucks.

**This is the shortest chapter I've ever written and I'm sorry. I promised myself I'd update by today so I did. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

The two cannons were for the Two boy and the Ten girl. I force myself to remember who's still alive. All of the Careers except for the Two boy. That makes five. The girl from Brocker's district- District 9 - and the boy from Five. That's seven. Me. _Just one more! _Then it hits me- the girl from Eleven.

_BOOM! _Well, now one of those people are dead. I guess it's time for the family interviews. I take a few berries out of my bag and eat them. I take a small sip of my water before jumping out of my tree.

As I walk through the forest I can't help thinking about the games. I'm kicking ass. Unlike the Careers I have no food or weapons that I didn't find myself or take from Brocker. I probably have some sponsor money now but it's not very much and the worst injury I've had was a bloody finger. I've avoided almost every tribute and I've completely avoided the mutts. I really deserve to win this.

The Careers will split up soon and then it will be easy. I hear arguing near me and I momentarily freeze. I jump into a tree and I try to blend in.

About one hundred yards away, the remaining Careers are arguing loudly. "It's the final eight," the boy from Four- Tiran- argues. "It's time to split up!"

"You're probably right," Jemi states, "But we should know who else is alive before we go our separate ways."

"There's the District Nine girl, and she's pathetic," the Two girl says. "And then there's the boy from Five."

I guess the the girl from Eleven was the cannon I heard. "But who else is there?" the boy from One asks. "There's one other person!"

"Oh my god," Tiran exclaims, "It's that wimp from Seven!" I silently give him the finger.

"How the hell is she still alive!?" Angel hisses. "She should be dead."

"So should you," her district partner mutters.

"Would you shut up!?" she yells. "You've been on me since the games started and I'm tired of it! This is the last straw!" She pulls out her knife and stabs him in the neck. _BOOM!_

"Now," she continues, "If you want the same fate as Shine here," _SHINE! _"By all means continue arguing but if not, I suggest you walk away.

They all turn and walk. I decide to stalk Tiran until I get the chance to kill him. After a few hours, he finds the District Nine girl sleeping at the bottom of a tree.

He breaks a stick to wake her up and her eyes widen in horror. He takes out a spear and pins her to her tree. She screams in agony and Tiran smiles.

He pulls out a dagger and carves: Bitch into her forehead. He draws a long line down both her arms and she shrieks. He cuts off one of her fingers and she whimpers.

That's the last straw for me. I raise my axe and leap from my tree- screaming a battlecry. Tiran turns around just in time to see my axe enter his skull. His death is instantaneous.

I turn to the District 9 girl and she looks at me with pleading eyes. "Please," she begs. I feel more mercy than I've ever felt. I lean down and push the hair out of her face- her blood covering my hand.

"Of course," I whisper. I slit her throat and she makes one final sound before she becomes still. _BOOM! _"Sweet dreams," I pull the spear out of her shoulder and lay it on top of her lifeless form. I kick Tiran on my way out and pull my axe out of his head. I wipe the tears from my eyes.

The final five. Three people died today. None of their families will ever get to tell Panem about their child. _BOOM! _Final four. That cannon was probably the District Five boy. If I'm right it will be me, Jemi, Angel, and the District Two girl fighting for the title of victor.

Me against three Careers. I'm going to have some work to do.

There hasn't been a death in three days. The games almost have to end today. I'm just waiting for the mutts to lead me to wherever the face off will be.

Eventually, I get tired of waiting and set off toward the Cornucopia. That's usually where the face off takes place. I get there in a little less than four hours and wait in a tree with long vines.

Soon, the girl from District Two appears- running away from some multi-colored bugs. She has cuts all over and is panting. The bugs just disappear. She doesn't see me in my tree and I smile. She sits down on the edge of the Cornucopia.

I see a flash of silver and a snip of blond hair move behind her. Angel's face appears behind the girl and she stabs her in the back. _BOOM! _As the girl falls Angel spots me in my tree. I wiggle my fingers playfully at her and she understands that there's more to me than meets the eye. She looks like she's about to do something but then we hear a scream.

Jemi dashes out of the forest and falls to her knees. She has a deep cut in her shoulder but she gets back on her feet quickly.

She glares at Angel who glares at me. I take this as my signal to join the fun. I grab hold of a vine and swing. I kick Angel squarely in the chest and she topples over backwards. I jump off and land in a roll before quickly killing Angel- who hasn't managed to get to her feet. _BOOM!_

"I take it that the pathetic girl was all an act you made up," Jemi says. "How many have you killed?"

"Just three," I tell her. "Wait- no. It was four. You?"

"Same," she replies, "Angel and Tiran did most of the killing."

"They were both pretty defenseless," I try to act cocky.

"Who did you kill other than Tiran and Angel?" we start circling each other.

"Both from Nine," I tell her. "One of those was an act of mercy. Not that you would know what that is."

"I understand the concept of mercy perfectly,"she informs me. "I just think that there's no place for it in the hunger games."

"I hope you aren't annoyed that I killed your district partner," I tell her, "He was just the biggest asshole I've ever met. It felt appropriate."

"That would be hypocritical," she replies. "After all, I killed yours."

"Oh, so you killed Gavon," I say.

"Yep," she tells me, "Now, I think it's time to fight 'till one of us dies."

**The games will end next chapter! There were a lot of deaths this chapter! Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Fine," I tell her. "Let's get started." I know that I could win this quickly- just by throwing my axe at at her head. Of course, that's not the show the Capitol is expecting.

We circle each other for awhile before she finally makes a move. She pulls out her spear and I do some tricks with my axes.

Jemi takes a step forward and I do the same. We continue like this until we're only a yard away from each other.

She lunges forward and tries to stab me in the stomach but I jump back and evade her strike. I try to slice her in the shoulder but she steps to the side and avoids the hit. She jabs her spear forward and leaves a deep cut in my side. I scream in pain and she smiles. I can practically hear the intake of breath from everyone in District Seven. Chantel was our last winner and she won twenty years ago. I raise my axe and slice down near her neck. We both fall to the ground. _Now it's just a matter of who bleeds out first._

"Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you the winner of the 68th hunger games-" and then everything goes black.

"W-What?" I find myself in an all white room. I look down at myself. I'm naked and strapped to a metal bed. There are doctors all around me and a long cut in my side that has been stitched up.

"She's awake!" A doctor with purple hair shouts. "Someone go get her mentors!"

"Did I win?" I ask him.

"YES!" he shouts, "CONGRATULATIONS!"

"Would you unstrap me?" I growl.

He does and I sit up. I see an outfit at the end of my bed and put it on. In a minute, Chantel and Romulus walk in.

"Johanna, we knew you could do it," Chantel smiles at me and I scoff. "What?" she asks.

"You told me I would be the first to die," I glare at them both. That brings them up short. "Exactly."

"I didn't mean that," she defends.

"You also told me I was useless, pathetic, and hopeless," I tell her, "I think you both should just stay the fuck away from me."

They turn to leave and I smile to myself. Now I just have my interview and I get to go home.

I wait in silence while my prep team, Ferman, Francine, and Chantel appear on stage. I feel the floor moving and have a momentary flashback of the back of the games but it quickly passes. The lights are blinding and my eyes take a minute to adjust but I hear the cheering of the crowds.

I walk over to Caesar and sit down. "Johanna," he smiles, "You look stunning!" I look down at my long, flowing dress and smile.

"Thank you, Caesar," I say.

"I have to admit," he starts, "I never thought you'd win the games when we first saw you. I don't think anyone did! What did you think when you won?"

"I wasn't very surprised," I speak honestly, "I knew that if I got my hands on an axe, I'd have a pretty good chance. I knew that no one would be able to figure out that I was lying about my act. They were all idiots."

"I think this was one of the most interesting games we've seen yet," Ceasar announces. "Let's watch the best moments of these games."

It's brutal to watch.

**I know it's short but I have a good excuse! I have a good idea for what I want to do next chapter but it doesn't fit in with this chapter so I'm doing it next chapter. Please review! **


	11. Part Two: Chapter One

**Preface**

_Brocker. Tiran. Felicity. Angel. Jemi. Dad. Aqua. Mom. Jordan._ Their faces haunt me. _Liar. Bitch. Murderer. _That's what they call me. All I want to do is run. But I can't. Because I'm trapped.

**Present day**

"JoJo!" I hear a voice call through the crowd. Jordan and Aqua push their way through and Jordan leaps into my arms and wraps his arms around my shoulders. Aqua hugs us both.

"Woah," I whisper to Jordan through tears of joy. "Aren't you getting a little too old for this? I can hardly hold you!"

"We missed you _so_ much, Johanna," Mom tells me. I put Jordan down and hug her too.

"I'm glad you didn't die," Richard says which is high praise, coming from him.

"Thanks," I reply.

"That's my girl," my dad appears next to me.

"Go away," I order. "You thought it was okay to fool around with my district partner's sister right before I fought for my life."

"How did you-" I cut him off with a slap across the face. He walks away.

"So, what did I miss while I was away?" I ask Aqua and Jordan.

"Not much. All anyone did was watch the games," Aqua tells me.

"Fun," I say sarcastically.

"You should have seen the district when it was the final four," Jordan tugs on my sleeve, "Everyone was _silent_!"

I see Gavon's family standing nearby looking glum. I tell Mom, Aqua, and Gavon that I'll be right back and I walk over to them.

"I'm really sorry for you loss," I tell them and his mother smiles at me.

I turn my attention to his little sister. "Never settle. You can do better." I quickly add, "Gavon agrees with me."

I hurry back to my family and pull a set of keys out of my pocket. "Do you want to see the new house?"

We walk to the other side of the district and I stick the key into the keyhole. I swing open the door and we walk in. Everything is fully furnished.

I toss my mom a pair of keys; then I turn to my siblings. "I only have one other set of keys so you two have to share."

"Okay, can we pick our rooms, now?" Aqua asks excitedly.

"Of course! Everyone, up the stairs," I order. I turn to my mom and ask, "Did you move everything from our old house?"

She nods and we all pound up the stairs. Jordan claims the first one he sees. It's the size of Mom's old bedroom and he jumps on the bed. Mom takes the next one, which is slightly bigger than Jordan's room with a bathroom attached to it. Aqua claims the next room that's the same size as Mom's with a really big bed.

Finally, I find my room. It's at the end of the hall and it's even smaller than my old one. There's a large window along one wall and I can see into our new neighbor, Blight's, house. There is a small bed a few feet away from the window, a closet- which already has all of my old clothes plus some more, a mirror hanging on the wall, and a desk in the corner.

"Okay, I haven't been with you guys for a few weeks," I exclaim, "What do you want to do?"

"Can we go to the candy store?!" Jordan shouts. There's only one candy store in District Seven and it sucks. The whole shop is the size of our old dining room but candy is stacked along every wall and there are shelves leading up to the counter.

I ruffle his hair and say, "Definitely!"

I pull on a jacket and walk out the door behind my family. The town square is pretty close to the Victors' Village, so we arrive at the shop quickly.

We kind of know the family who runs the store. Their youngest daughter sits next to me in Science. She's really loud- so I try to ignore her- but she's also really pretty and nice in her own way.

"Johanna! I'm so glad to see you back here! You kicked ass in the games," she flips her long, blond hair over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Carmen," I grab a bag of jellybeans from the top shelf for myself, toss Jordan three pixie stix', and Aqua and my mom get a bag of caramel corn to share. I pay at the register and exit the store.

A mean boy in my class comes up to me and says, "Of all the people in the district I thought you'd have the best chance at winning because you're such a bitch."

Jordan steps forward and announces, "You can't talk to my sister like that. She a victor, you know. Plus, you used a bad word and that's not very nice!"

"Jordan," I bend over in order to look him in the eye, "I appreciate you standing up to this bully, but I can stand up for myself."

I flip him off as we walk away. We eat our candy in a comfortable silence and everyone else keeps their distance- like I'm a ticking time bomb or something like that.

"Johanna?" Jordan looks up at me. "Was it scary?"

"Was what scary?" I smile at my little brother.

"The games," he replies solemnly.

My face goes hard. "Yes. I was terrified every second I was there. It was thinking of you guys and getting back to you that kept me going."

"I'm sorry you had to do that," he suddenly hugs me tightly around the waist. I pat his shoulder and squeeze his arm.

"It's okay," I tell him, "I'm back and now we can have anything we want. Anything at all."

"Can we get a dog?" he asks.

I look at my mom and she shrugs so I say, "I don't see why not. In fact, when I left there was a boy- in your grade I think- who was trying to sell his dog because he couldn't take care of her. Do you know if he still is?"

"Oh yes! Remmy has a two-year-old german shepherd that he and his family can't take care of, but they want her to have a loving family!"

"Let's go adopt her! Right now!" Aqua exclaims.

They lead me to the other side of the square and I knock on the door. The mother opens the door looking startled but she smiles at us.

"May I help you?" she asks.

"Actually, yes," Mom says. "We were wondering if you were still selling your dog."

"Indeed we are. Remmy!" she calls. A young boy pounds down the hall wearing jeans and a T-shirt. "Remmy, these people are want to buy Victory."

"Her name's Victory?' I ask. "How appropriate."

**Merry Christmas everyone! So, please, as a gift to me, review!**


	12. Part Two: Chapter Two

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I whisper/yell into the phone, so Aqua, Jordan, and Mom don't hear me from the other room, "I've only been victor for a month and you expect me to be the newest Capitol slut! No!"

"Ms. Mason, I think you should reconsider," Snow says in his awful voice.

"No, I'm not going to reconsider! I'm not in the games anymore, you can't kill me off. You have nothing you can do to me," I tell him.

"Oh, Ms. Mason, in the very near future, you will regret this decision more than any decision you've ever made." The line goes dead. I shrug and walk into the dining room where my family is waiting for me.

"What was that about, Johanna?" Aqua looks up from the toast she's eating.

"Yeah, JoJo, is everything okay?" Jordan asks me.

"It was nothing important," I reassure them, "He was just making sure that the house was accommodating. He wouldn't want his victors to be uncomfortable."

"That's good," my mother is visibly less tense than she was a few seconds ago. She makes her tone stricter and turns to my sister, "Aqua, share that jam with your siblings."

I take a piece of toast off the plate and spread some jam on it. "Mmmm," I take a bite, "This jam is good. Mom, did you make this?"

"I've been trying a few new recipes," she smiles at me but then switches to a very motherly mood, "Which you should be doing, by the way. You have five months to perfect a talent and you don't even know what you'll be doing."

"I don't want to cook or bake! I thought we'd established that I don't have a talent," I say.

She sighs. "Walk Aqua and Jordan to school and then we'll talk about your talent. Take Victory with you."

"Fine," I mutter. "Aqua, will you put Victory on her leash? Jordan, grab the your backpacks. I'll get our jackets."

I walk to the closet next to the front door and pull out three coats. I grab a blue jacket for Jordan and two beige trench coats for Aqua and me.

I toss Aqua and Jordan their coats and I take Victory's leash from Aqua. We scurry out the door into the icy wind. It gets cold early in District Seven.

It's only October and it will probably start snowing in early November. I pull on the hat that I always keep stuffed in this coat's pocket and I rush Aqua and Jordan forward.

"Is anything interesting happening at school today?" I ask them.

"Not really," Aqua tells me, "We're watching a movie about the rebellion. I don't see why we have to learn about something that happened sixty-eight years ago. We hear enough about it at the reaping every year!"

"We get our projects and partners for science fair,"Jordan informs me, "I hope I get one of the smart kids for my partner."

"I remember when I did science fair. I was with Carmen, the girl from the candy store. She's nice and all but she's not very smart," I tell him.

I see the school and Jordan and Aqua run ahead. "Bye, JoJo!" They simultaneously yell.

"Bye, guys!" I call to them. I turn around and start walking home. Victory walks dutifully beside to me. She's been obsessed with me ever since we adopted her.

"Let's go for a little jog," I say to Victory and take off running. I love running. It makes me feel alive but my good mood is shot down the second I walk through my door. The atmosphere feels wrong.

"Mom," I call. "Are you here? MOM!"

I feel my heartbeat quicken and yell for her again. My mind goes to the conversation I had with President Snow. "MOM! THIS ISN'T FUNNY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

She walks into the hallway, shaking. "I walk over and touch her shoulder. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"I- It's your father. Th- there was a m-mishap in the factory," she trails off into sobs.

"It's okay, Mom. It happens. He was a filthy son of a bitch. How bad is he hurt?" I try to calm her down.

"Not hurt, Johanna. _Gone_. Dead! One of the machines malfunctioned and he lost an arm. The bleeding wouldn't stop!" It feels like I just got kicked in the stomach but I try to stay strong- for her.

"Mom, remember what he did to you," I remind her. "He was a horrible person."

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN I STOPPED LOVING HIM, JOHANNA," she cries. Then immediately apologizes, "I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to snap at you I just-"

"Shhhh," I say to her, "It's okay. Go to the kitchen and make yourself some tea. I'll go get Aqua and Jordan before their classes start."

I hurry out the door and wipe my eyes. I hated him but at the same time he was my father. I make my way to the Victors' Village gate.

I'm stopped by three of District Seven's victors- Blight, Ganter, and Chantel. "What?" I growl at them, trying to hide the fact that I'd been crying.

"Your father died today," Ganter announces.

"So what?" I cross my arms. "If you're here to pity me, I don't want to hear it. My father was a disgusting bastard."

"We're assuming you got a call this morning from good old Snow. We're also assuming you refused," Chantel says.

"Yeah. Do you have a point?" I snap.

"He was the start. There will be others. It's only fair that you know," Blight tells me. "You know, District Seven has the highest rate of victors who refuse."

"And how do you shitheads know this?" I ask.

"Because it happened to us too."

**This chapter was only about forty words shorter than what I try to get each chapter so I think that's pretty decent. Happy New Year's Eve and please review!**


	13. Part Two: Chapter Three

Aqua and Jordan didn't care very much about Dad's passing. They didn't know him very well at all. It's been three weeks since his death and we've all- except Mom- more or less moved on.

"MOM, THIS ISN'T WORKING," I shout. I've been trying to bake a cake for the last four hours. I have flour all over my arms, hair, and shirt, an egg cracked down my bra, and milk spilled all over my jeans.

"YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER; YOU WILL DO WHAT I SAY!" she retorts.

"Why are you so dead set on me being a baker?" I ask.

"Because my grandpa was a baker and he taught me how to bake. He gave the bakery to my cousin though," she tells me.

"Does that mean I'm related to the baker?" I ask and she nods. "Anyway, I'm no good at this. I get my kitchen skills from Dad. Aqua and Jordan are the ones who can bake."

"Well, Johanna, I don't mean to be rude but we don't have very many options," she seems more agitated every instant. "You're not exactly a talented person."

"Why can't cutting down trees be a talent!?" I exclaim angrily.

My mother sighs. "Can you sing, dance, or act?" She asks.

"Obviously, I can act but they already know that!" I remind her.

"What about gymnastics?" I'm about to retort but I pause. I've never actually tried anything like that but I'm short, fit, and flexible, so it could work.

"I'll try it," I say simply.

Mom claps her hands in joy. "Finally, something you might be able to do!" I roll my eyes.

"What should I do first?" I ask her.

"We'll start small. Try a cartwheel." I do and land almost perfectly.

"This is easy," I mutter.

"It takes weeks for some people to do a good cartwheel," Mom informs me.

"No way," I say. I do it again and continue doing tricks. By the time Aqua and Jordan get home, I've nearly mastered a backwalkover.

"Any luck?" Aqua asks as she makes herself a snack.

"Actually, yes," Mom announces. "Your sister is going to be a gymnast."

"Oh that's cool," she grins. "Can you show me some of the stuff you worked on?"

I shrug and do a few tricks. When I finish, Aqua's mouth is hanging open. "You learned to do all of that in a day?!"

I nod and sit back down at the table. "She's a natural," Mom smiles brilliantly.

"That's the overstatement of the century," I mutter quietly. "I'm gonna go see if Richard wants to cut down some trees with me."

I pick up my axe by the front door, pull on a sweatshirt, and head outside, appreciating the cold air against my face.

I walk to Richard's house in the poorer part of the district and knock on his front door. "Hi, Johanna!" his six-year-old brother, Koltan, greets me brightly, "We haven't seen you since the games!"

"Hey, Coltan," I smile at him. I've always liked Richard's brother. He's cute and sweet. "I'm here to see Richard. Is he here right now?"

Koltan nods vigorously. "Richard, Johanna's here to see you," he calls down the hallway. Richard steps out of his bedroom and walks to the door.

"What?" he says in his ever so cheerful tone- not.

"Do you wanna go cut down some trees?" I ask him.

"I did that this morning . . . but sure," he grabs his axe from the closet and we head out to the forest.

"Sorry 'bout your dad," he murmurs while we slice down an oak.

"That's nothing to be sorry about. He was an ass," I tell him.

"Yeah, but he was still your dad," Richard has such sincerity in his voice that I nearly trip over our tree. Sincerity isn't his thing. Sarcasm, yes- but rarely sincerity.

"I know. It doesn't mean I wasn't upset. Mom still is," I inform him. "Thanks for the concern. I'll tell her you're sending the little love you have in your tiny little heart."

He's obviously preparing to make a snide comeback but we hear multiple gunshots from the other side of the district. "We should go check that out," he says and I agree.

We leave are tree where it is, pick up our axes, and start up running. A crowd is gathering on the north side of the town square. Richard and I try to shove our way through the crowd but it's useless.

I make an executive decision. "MOVE IT, PEOPLE! VICTOR TRYING TO GET HOME!"

"Oh, thank God you're alive," a redheaded woman holding a baby exclaims before bursting into tears.

"Why? What happened?" I ask urgently.

The woman can't seem to speak anymore and she just points in the direction of the Victors' Village. "Oh, fucking hell," I mutter under my breath before sprinting toward my house- Richard close behind.

The scene that awaits me is chaos. There are paramedics everywhere. Chantel is lying in the street, dead, with a bullet wound in her forehead. Ganter is leaning against the wall of his house, his shoulder covered in blood. Romulus is clutching his hip but doesn't look as bad as Ganter. Blight and the two other victors who are uninjured are doing whatever they can to help the paramedics.

Finally, I see the worst sight I've ever seen in my life. Aqua, clutching the right side of her stomach, blood streaming through her fingers. I see my mom next to the paramedics. She's in hysterics. She is circling them and crying out horrible things. Jordan looks scared and confused. He spots me and waves me over.

Aqua sees me to cries, "JoJo, how bad is it? Mom and the paramedics won't tell me!"

"I- It's pretty bad," I stutter, "But you can beat it! You're stronger than this, Aqua! You have to fight it!"

One of the paramedics looks up at me and says, "The bullet hit some pretty vital organs. We need to take her in the surgery."

I motion for them to take her. "Mom, take Jordan to the hospital! Neither of you leave until she's out of surgery! I'll be there soon."

She grabs the back of Jordan's collar and they hurry after the paramedics. I dash to the house and bound up the stairs to my room. I ruffle through my dresser, trying to find the token she gave me. I grab it and spin around.

"Hey," Richard says.

"Yeah?" I ask him quickly.

"If you ever need a friend, I'll be there," he replies, "You don't really have anyone else who's even close to a friend."

"Thanks but you're lucky you're not actually my friend. I hate you and you hate me. It's the people that I love who are now in trouble because of me."

I know this room is bugged. Richard will probably never know this, but I may have just saved his life.

**I worked really hard on the chapter and it has a good ending! :) I think I did a wonderful job on this chapter and whether or not you agree with me, please review!**


	14. Part Two: Chapter Four

The nurse walks out of the surgery and Jordan, Mom, and I turn to face her. She approaches us and says, "There were a few complications in the surgery but she's holding up okay. She's a really strong girl. I don't want to give you false hope but, unless her condition suddenly drops, I'd say she has a fifty/fifty chance."

"Can we see her?" Mom asks the nurse.

"Yes," the nurse replies and leads us down a short hallway and into the last room. Aqua is lying on the bed in a hospital gown.

"Hey, sweetie," Mom sits on the edge of her bed, "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," she mutters then chuckles. Her face goes serious, "How much of a chance do I have? I deserve to know."

"The nurse thinks you have a fifty percent chance at living," she gulps and I push her hair out of her face. I hand her the necklace and she smiles at me. "For luck," I tell her.

"Thanks, JoJo," Aqua grins.

"I'm gonna go see what happened to the other victors who were hurt," I walk towards the door, then add, "I'll let Victory out too."

I jog back to the Victors' Village and into my house. I let Victory out in the backyard, before going back outside. I spot Blight sitting on his porch and call over to him, "Bight, have you heard anything about Ganter, Romulus, and Chantel?"

"Romulus's injuries are minor, but he'll have to go to physical therapy, Ganter died due to internal bleeding, and Chantel died instantly. What about your sister?"

"The nurse says fifty/fifty but I don't think she has a chance. Not after what you told me and what happened to my dad," I reply sadly.

A thought pops into my head, "Hey, Blight, do all the victors get asked to work as prostitutes? Or is it just some of us?"

"We all get asked but some are more popular than others. Finnick and Lyme are both very popular while Chaff isn't. Once you turn seventy, you don't get requested anymore," he informs me. "You probably would've been a popular one."

"So, since Katespee is eighty-five, she doesn't do it anymore?" I ask him and he nods. I continue, "That means there are only two victors in District Seven who do it- Romulus and Caspar."

"Yes, but neither of them are very popular. I'd say they go to the Capitol every three months," Blight tells me, "The Odair boy has to go for a week and it's sometimes monthly. He hates it."

"Oh," I say stupidly. "I should get back to the hospital. I want to spend Aqua's last few days with her."

"Johanna," Blight calls as I leave. "Don't tell your mother or your brother about what is going to happen."

"I know," I call back as I wipe a tear out of my eye.

I let Victory back in the house, and then I go back to the hospital. When I walk into the room Aqua brightens up slightly. "Mom, Jordan," she says, "Can I talk to Johanna in private?"

They walk out and I sit in a chair next to her bed. "What's up?" I smile at her.

"Jo, I know I'm going to die," Aqua doesn't seem shaken at all. She's a twelve-year-old girl preparing for death.

"I'm not going to pretend it's not possible but there is still a good chance of your survival," I lie.

"No, we both _know _that. If I don't die here- which I probably will- I'll die within a year. So will Mom and Jordan," she seems so sure that it makes me nervous.

"What makes you say that?" I tap my finger anxiously against the side of the chair.

"I was listening in on your phone call from Snow," she tells me and I sigh. "Jo, just promise you won't tell Mom and Jordan that they're going to die."

"Of course, I won't," I wipe the tears out of my eyes. _She shouldn't be this mature_, I think, then I second guess myself, _Or should she? I was that mature when I was her age. Maybe all children just think anyone who is younger and shorter than them is immature. I think that of all the fifteen-year-olds I went to school with. Is everyone like this?_

Mom and Jordan come back in and I smile at them. "Do you want to play a board game?" Jordan asks. "The hospital has Monopoly, Sorry, and Risk?"

"Monopoly sounds fun," Aqua _loves_ Monopoly. "I get the dog!"

"I call the hat!" Jordan exclaims.

"I'll play as the shoe," I smile.

"I guess I'll take the car," Mom sets up the board and we begin playing.

I'm the first one who goes bankrupt, as always. Mom is out next, which usually happens. It almost always comes down to Jordan and Aqua.

"Come on," Jordan blows on the dice as he approaches Aqua's death row. He rolls a six. "NOOOO!" he bellows.

He lands on Aqua's most expensive property with a hotel on it. "I'm out," he announces. "Aqua wins."

"Okay," I perk up as soon as it's over, "Let's play Risk, now. I'm actually good at that." Aqua and Jordan groan but I fight for it. "We played your game and now we'll play mine."

They both mutter "fine" and I open up the game board. Then, the unthinkable happens, they all gang up against me and I'm first out.

"Seriously? I suck at board games," I complain. "Why are they so hard!?"

They all laugh at me and I frown. "Whatever," I mutter, "Board games are stupid."

"Johanna, you sound like a little kid," Mom scolds, "Don't be a sore loser!"

"I'm not a sore loser," I whine. "I just don't like to lose and I think board games are stupid."

"Sounds like a sore loser to me," Jordan whispers to Aqua.

"Fine," I mutter, "I'll try to stop." We play until we're all flat-out exhausted, and then we fall asleep. **Voile! I haven't been getting very many reviews lately and it's making me sad! I don't usually update within two day but I did so please, **_**please**_** review!**


	15. Part Two: Chapter Five

Aqua dies that night. Her condition took a turn for the worse and she didn't make it out of surgery. As soon as the doctor shakes his head, Mom bursts into tears, Jordan chokes on his sob, and I start running.

I wish I could run away from all my memories. From my life. But I know I can't. So, instead, I run to my house. I pick up the phone and dial the only number I know.

"Ms. Mason," President Snow's sick voice snarls, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"I'll do it," I sob, "I'll be your fucking whore! Just don't take anyone else away from me!"

"Ms. Mason, I'm not one for showing mercy. I will make no exception for you. You refused to work as a prostitute and this is what came from it," his voice has a calmness that makes my blood boil.

"I can't accept that! This is my family! I won't take no for an answer," I shout at him.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to," Snow says, "Now, I have a speech to give."

I turn on the television and Snow soon appears on screen. "I am afraid that this speech is not a happy one," Snow starts. "I would like all the districts to be aware that there have been multiple conflicts in District Seven over the past year. Two of them have been deadly.

"About a month ago, there was a mishap in one of District Seven's wood cutting factories. It cost the lives of Jacob Welsh and Arbor Garren." Arbor Garren is my father. Mom didn't like his last name and so we took hers. "And, sadly, there was an even worse event yesterday. It took the lives of two victors and a child." The gasp from the crowd is overwhelming. "A crazy man somehow got hold of a weapon and ran through the Victors' Village in District Seven. Though he committed suicide after, he shot four people. Three of those shots were fatal.

"Now, if you would all join hands and say a silent prayer for the departed- Jacob Welsh, Arbor Garren, Chantel Horner, Ganter Blakely, and Aqua Mason.

"We hope that the victory tour gets District Seven back on it's feet and therefore, we have moved it up one month. Remember that this could be happening to any of the districts and to keep District Seven in our thoughts. Thank you."

I scream all of the curse words I know at the now empty screen. I do a flip- which I learned how to do last week- and angrily storm outside.

Mom and Jordan are just coming home. "Jo," Jordan whispers, "I know you want to run. I do too. We have to fight it. Tough times don't last. Tough people do." **A/N: totally stole that from Elementary!**

_A few months ago I would've believed that but now I know that you have a number. I know you're going to die_, I think about Jordan.

"Yeah," I mutter, "Tough people. We'll be okay." I hate lying to him but I have to. "Hey, we were up all night last night. You should try to get some sleep. I know it will be hard, sweetie. But you need to try."

"I guess it couldn't hurt," Jordan murmurs, "How long will I miss her, Jo?"

"All your life, sweetie. But it will get easier." Of course I don't know if it will. I still have nightmares about the people I killed in the games. Then again, I've only been victor for two months._ It's not like he'll live long enough for the pain to go away._

"JoJo," Jordan whimpers. There are times when he looks years older than he really is and then there are moments when he looks like he seven inches tall. Right now, he looks like a scared little boy. "I love you."

"I love you too," I kiss his forehead.

"Will you tuck me in?" he asks. "Like how you did the two months after Dad left, when all Mom did was sit in her room watching chick flicks, crying about them."

"Sure, I will," I tell him. "Let's get you to sleep."

I pull up the blankets to his chin just like I used to. I kiss his forehead and leave the room.

As soon as I see Mom I go outside. She's watching a chick flick and crying into a pillow. I do a few gymnastics tricks in my front yard to blow off steam. I don't cut down trees because I don't want any sympathy. I'd have to walk through the whole district.

I do some more dangerous tricks. I didn't even know I could do some of them. I manage to do my first aerial when I hear a voice.

"I'm sorry that it's not all happening at the same time," Blight calls from his yard.

"What?" I ask and he walks to the edge of my yard.

"My first loved one died by herself- as a warning- but the rest of them died in a fire. You were just a baby when it happened," he informs me.

"How long do I have?" I ask him, tears in my eyes.

"I'd be surprised if they make it to the victory tour," Blight says sadly. I gulp loudly and do a back handspring.

"This is hell," I mutter. Blight walks back to his porch and eyes me warily.

I continue my tricks. "Johanna, I'm so sorry." I look up and see Richard. "I would've come earlier but I thought you'd want to blow off some steam and come over to cut down trees."

"Why did she have to die?" I wipe a tear out of my eye. "She was my little sister!"

"It's okay, Jo," he continues, "I know what it's like."

I shove him against the side of my wrap my hands around his neck. I press my thumb down on his windpipe and he visibly panics.

"You know _nothing_!" I whisper/yell at him, not wanting Mom or Jordan to hear me through the window. "You don't know what it's like to know that _everyone_ you love even the tiniest bit is going to die because you said no! You don't know that I saved your life! You don't know that your little brother and your mother are going to die within months! Richard, you don't know _shit_!"

His face gets paler as I become more and more hysterical. Blight runs over and shoves me away from him. He drops to his knees, gasping. I try to lunge at him but Blight holds me back.

"Next time you won't be so lucky," this time I'm not trying to hide my words from anyone, "Next time you prance over here claiming _you_ know what I'm going through, I _will_ kill you without a second thought!"

**Sorry for the delayed update! I had some writer's block for this chapter! Don't hate me for killing Aqua but it had to happen for the storyline! Please review with any criticism you have for my writing and if you don't have any then review anyway!**


	16. Part Two: Chapter Six

**I'm skipping ahead to the victory tour.**

"Are you ready?" Mom asks as she straightens my collar.

"I think so," I reply and I smile at her. I can't believe she and Jordan are still alive. I wish I could stay here with them but I can't.

I give them both hugs before I step on the train. I wave at them from the train window and they wave back.

Some guy comes up to Mom and she starts arguing with him. Jordan tries to get her attention but she ignores him.

"We're about to leave," Francine tells me and I nod.

I watch my mom and the strange man. The man shoves her and she looks appalled. She pushes him away from her. He shoves her onto the train tracks as the train starts moving. I scream.

"I need a phone!" I shout at anyone on the train. "Get me a phone, _now_!"

Francine hands me a cordless phone and I dial the first number that pops into my head. "Hello?" Blight picks up.

"Blight, I need you to go to the train station and give the phone to my brother! How fast can you get there?" I ask him.

"Five minutes," he tells me. "Just wait a few minutes."

I tap my foot impatiently as Blight runs to the station. I hear the sound of Blight hand the phone to someone else.

"Johanna, what do I do?" I hear him sob.

"Jordan, go to Richard's house," I order. "You can stay there until I get back from the victory tour, okay?"

"Okay, JoJo," he's obviously trying to keep a calm tone. "I love you."

"Love you too," I tell him. "Bye."

District Twelve is disgusting. It's super small and poor. Half the district is cover in coal dust. All of the children are skin and bones. It's depressing and gloomy.

"I'm very glad to be here," I start, looking at the speech Francine wrought for me. "First, I'd like to offer my sympathy to the families of the tributes who died during my games. My sister passed recently and I know that it's horrible."

I look down at the two families directly in front of me. They both look poor, even for District Twelve.

The boy's family has tan skin, so I assume they don't work in the mines. Their hair is jet black. He appeared to have two older sisters and his grandfather.

The girl's family has olive-colored skin and light brown hair. The mother appears to be out of the picture because her family is made up of her father and too little brothers. They're all really tall.

I give the rest of my speech and Francine and Romulus take me to the mayor's house. "Hello," the mayor says as he shakes my hand. "My name is Maxwell Undersee. This is my wife, Patrice, and my daughter, Madge." They're a pretty average looking family. The girl- Madge- looks to be about seven or eight. She has long blond hair that's tied up in a bun. She looks almost exactly like her parents except younger.

"Johanna Mason," I don't smile. I shake hands with his wife and daughter too before turning back to just him.

"We have dinner prepared for you. You'll eat with your escort and mentor, along with my family and our victor, Haymitch," he informs me and I suppress a grin. Haymitch is pretty famous in Panem. He won the second Quarter Quell and is Twelve's only victor. He's also a renowned drunkard.

He leads me into his dining room and everyone- except Haymitch is already there. I sit at the table and take a sip of water.

My silence makes everyone antsy. "Johanna's going through a lot recently. Her mother died just before we left," Francine informs them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Patrice tells me. "How long before you started the victory tour did she die?"

"Literally just before," I frown, "She was hit by the train that brought me here."

"That must've been horrible!" she exclaims and I nod.

Just then, Haymitch waddles into the room, holding a bottle of wine. He falls on the floor next to me and I kick him away.

I scowl at him and Maxwell shakes his head. "Haymitch, get of the floor," Maxwell frowns and I laugh.

"Get up, dumbass," I kick him again. He groans and pulls himself off the floor. I grab the liquor out of his hands and smash it against the wall.

"Thanks so much for the meal," I say even though I didn't eat anything. "But I think I should leave."

**A/N: I'm skipping Ten and Eleven.**

"I killed both of your tributes," I say, totally disregarding the speech Francine wrote for me. "I'm not going to lie to you- I killed Brocker in cold blood. I never liked him, but then again, I don't like most people. I killed Felicity- I just learned her name a few minutes ago- as an act of mercy. She was suffering and I don't want to let anyone suffer. If you hate me for either of their deaths then so be it. We know there can only be one winner and I had to get back to my family. Of course, it's kind of pointless now that they'll die anyway."

The crowd goes silent. "I think that's all," I say. "Just remember that being a victor isn't all it's cracked up to be. The faces of the children you kill haunt you. It's scary. I had to leave my brother with a kid I hate just because my mom died. So, I'm begging you, say yes if you become a victor. Your dignity isn't worth it . . ."

**I know it's a tad short but it's pretty good! Sorry about Johanna's mom dying and Johanna's mini-freak-out in District 9. My life kind of sucks right now so I'm letting it out on these characters. Please review!**


	17. Part Two: Chapter Seven

_**District Four**_

I feel my heart bounce up to my throat as the train rumbles to a halt in District Four. I killed both of their tributes without thinking about it.

Francine leads me to the stage and I can't bring myself to look at the grieving families. "I killed Tiran and Jemi. I didn't get a good vibe from Tiran and he underestimated me. I guess it made me annoyed. Jemi, on the other hand, was a worthy opponent. My last thought before I blacked out at the end of the games was: 'Now it's only a matter of who bleeds out first' and that was Jemi."

I give the rest of the speech Francine wrote and leave the stage. Francine leads me to the town square and I find my seat with three other victors- Finnick Odair, Mags White, and Lucan Revlar.

"So, Johanna, do you like District Four?" Lucan asks cautiously.

"It smells like fish," I mutter.

"Pass the bread," Finnick says in a seductive tone even though there is nothing sexual about that statement.

I hand it to him. "Thanks for killing Tiran," he tells me. "I hated mentoring that asshole. Jemi was annoying too."

"He really was an ass," I take a bite of my fish and it tastes awful.

"I liked Jemi," I can hardly make out anything Mags says. "But she was too cocky."

We continue the rest of the dinner like this until Finnick says, "Johanna, will you come walk with me on the beach?"

He grabs my wrist and pulls me to a nice, sandy part of the coast. "What is this?" I ask him. "Are you trying to rape me or something? 'Cause I don't consent to that but if you want a one-night-stand, well, after what I've been through these past few months, I'd be okay with that. Of course, Francine is watching me like a hawk, so it might be difficult."

Finnick laughs. "No, I don't want to rape you or have a one-night-stand. I just wanted to talk. What are you doing for your talent?"

"Gymnastics," I inform him and he pauses for a moment.

"I'll get back to you on that one-night-stand idea." I chuckle softly as he says that. "So, can I get a sneak preview of your gymnastics?"

"Sure," I take off my shoes and do three back handsprings in a row and then a back flip. I take a bow.

"Bravo," Finnick claps his hands. I slide my shoes back on and sit down on the sand.

"It's really beautiful, you know?" I tell him. "Despite the fishy smell."

"District Four?" he sits next to me.

"Yeah," I smile at him. "The ocean is beautiful. I wish I knew how to swim."

"Come on," he grabs my hand and pulls me up. "I'm going to teach you."

He tugs his shirt off, slips off him dress-pants, and kicks away his shoes before running into the ocean. "You coming?" he calls to me.

"Are you being serious?" I ask him and he nods.

I shrug my shoulders and take off my dress and shoes. I've never been very . . . self conscious.

I dip my toe in the water and instantly pull it back out. "It's fucking cold!" I screech.

He steps up to me, grabs my waist, and throws me in. "What's wrong with you!?" I ask but I'm laughing. I haven't had this much fun in a _long_ time.

"Now, do this," he instructs. He moves his arms in a way I don't know how to describe but manage to mimic.

"Lift your feet up and kick with them but keep moving your arms," he orders and I do it.

"I'm doing it!" I smile and swim a bit farther out. "This is amazing!"

"I know," Finnick splashes me and I splash him back. We get into a splash-war, and- what must be an hour later- we crawl out of the ocean.

"Thanks," I tell him, as we lie on the sand, trying to dry off.

"No problem," he smiles, "I had a good time teaching you."

"It freezing. Is there a blanket or towel we can use?" I ask.

"No," he frowns. "But sometimes you dry off faster if you sit on a rock. There's a bunch of them a couple minutes from here."

I pick up my stuff and we walk down the beach until we reach them. "This is really relaxing," I tell Finnick. "You're so lucky you live here. District Seven sucks."

"District Four isn't a paradise but I like it alot," he informs me.

"I still love District Seven though," I whisper. "It's my home."

"I know the feeling."

"Do you have any family?" I ask him.

"I have a big brother," he sits up and looks at the sea. "My parents died in a boating accident when I was ten. They're bodies were never recovered. What about you?"

"I had a normal family. But I said no when Snow asked me to be a prostitute. So know my mom, dad, and sister are dead. My ten-year-old brother is back in District Seven with a friend who probably hates me now. I'm worried as hell." I bring my knees up to my chest and wipe a tear from my eye.

Finnick brings his knees up to his chest too and whispers, "It's horrible you know. Getting called to the Capitol to sleep with a ton of different women. I've lost all self respect for myself. Last year, I lost my virginity, to a woman I didn't love. A woman who wasn't even . . . real. I feel like a piece of trash. No matter how hard you try to wash it all off it doesn't work. I'm bought and sold more often than anyone, and I'm sixteen-years-old. Sometimes I wonder if I should've just let him kill my brother. I have no self worth."

"Oh, Finnick," I put my arm around his shoulders. "If only we could've died in the games. It would be so much easier."

He nods. "We should get dressed and head back but . . . here's my phone number. If you ever need someone to talk to . . . I'm here."

"Here's mine," I write it on his hand. As we walk back, one word repeats in my head over and over again- _ally._

**Okay, so just before I wrote this I reread the part in Mockingjay where Finnick tells Panem how he worked as a manwhore and I'm just so fucking emotional right now! I'm swearing and like on the verge of tears! I always cry four places in the series: When Finnick confesses he's a manwhore, when Finnick dies, the epilogue in Mockingjay, and when Johanna says there's no one left she loves. Why does Suzanne Collins do this to us?! I love her but it just makes me so fucking emotional! So, please fucking review and hopefully I can get out of my crying fit. Also, last chapter I got a ton of new followers and favorites so thank you all sooo much!**


	18. Part Two: Chapter Eight

I walk back to the town square with Finnick in a comfortable silence. As soon as Francine spots us she hurries over. "Johanna, where have you been!? We are now behind schedule! Why is your hair all wet?"

"We were swimming," Finnick answers for me.

"Swimming? You were swimming!? While I was worried sick about you, you were busy swimming?" Francine yells.

"Yes, Francine," I snap. "Now, can we please get back to the train? I want to get this goddamn tour over with!"

"Um, okay," she seems a bit taken aback. "I guess we're headed to District Three."

I stomp to the train and it quickly leaves the station.

District Three is depressing. It's cloudy and mopey. I just give the speech and head to the dinner that awaits me.

I eat with Beetee and Wiress and they drive me insane. All they talk about is techie stuff. I will never be an inventor or anything like that so this talk bores me out of my mind.

"I'm sorry," I tell them. "But I am so bored! Can we please talk about something that I slightly care about?"

"Um, yes. I'm sorry for boring you," Beetee straightens his glasses, embarrassed. "What are you doing for your talent?"

"I'm a gymnast," I tell him. "What did you do?"

"I invented electronic gadgets," he replies.

"Of course you did," I roll my eyes

"Uh . . . yeah," he says. "So, how have you liked the victory tour?"

"District Four was pretty good. I didn't like the others at all," I focus again on my food.

"District Four? But you killed both of their tributes. I would think that it would be awkward for you," he says.

"It was at first but it got better," I snap at him. "Why do you care anyway?"

"No reason. I'm sorry."

_Yeah. I really don't like District Three._

**I know this chapter is short, boring, and pretty bad but I had to get past it. Check out my new story too. It's called Fire. Please review!**


	19. Part Two: Chapter Nine

_**The Capitol**_

"Johanna, are you ready to show us the talent you've been working on for the past five months?" Caesar beams at me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply. I slip off my heels and replace them with flats. I do a quick gymnastics routine and the audience cheers.

I return to my seat and put my heels back on. "Wow," Caesar exclaims. "That must've taken a while to perfect!"

"I guess," I shrug my shoulders, "But it kind of came naturally."

"_That_ came naturally?" he laughs. "I don't believe it for an instant.

I chuckle in a fake way. I hate this place. "I'd like to move to a more serious topic, Johanna. We learned that you've had a tough time with your family in the past. Recently, you've lost a lot of them to unfortunate accidents. Do you have anything to say about that?"

I grit my teeth. "Lots of my family members have had rather costly _accidents_ lately. It's been really rough." _Think of Jordan_, I order myself. _You want to be there when he dies. He can't die alone._

"Well, the sympathy of Panem is with you," Caesar reassures me and I plaster a smile on my face.

"Thank you, Caesar," I tell him. "I have lost a lot of my relatives recently. It's really difficult."

"Well, I know how you feel. When, I was twelve, my fish died! I was heartbroken," he touches my arm sympathetically. I can't believe he's comparing this to the death of a fish.

"That must've been a tragedy," I say and clench my fists behind my back.

He smiles at me. "Well, we are so glad you could chat with us but we're out of time. So, Johanna, until the 69th hunger games, I hope you enjoy yourself."

"You too, Caesar," I stand up and walk out. I exhale as soon as I'm off the stage. "You did great!" Francine pats my back. "You did exactly what I told you to do! Now, let's get you to the afterparty. It will be a fairly small party because you didn't have very many sponsors at the beginning."

I follow her into a big building and up to the penthouse. Whatever she means by a "small" party, I don't get it. There are at least 500 capitolites in the room.

"Johanna, it's time for you to have fun," Francine tells me. "Socialize. Make suggestions. Inspire. Eat."

"Okay . . .," I say. "I'm gonna go start."

I walk away from them and head to one of the snacks' tables. I grab a cookie-like thing and take a bite. It's soft and delicious.

"I'm Lydia," a capitolite with gold skin and green hair approaches me. "I started sponsoring you as soon as you killed Brocker. I knew you had potential."

"Thanks," I grab a crunchy flower-shaped thing and take a bite.

"I love your dress by the way. The purple fabric really complements your complexion. The length is perfect," she smiles at me.

"Thanks."

"You are the first real victor we've had since Finnick Odair," she compliments me.

I'm the first real victor in three years? How flattering. "Thanks." I'm starting to wonder if that's all I can say.

"I find it so exciting when a tribute from a lower district wins," she tells me. "It's so unexpected. It makes the games exciting."

"Yeah? I'm glad I made it exciting," I plaster a smile on my face.

"When you killed Tiran you were like a cavewoman!" Was that supposed to be a compliment?

"I didn't think of it like that," I think it's a good enough response.

Romulus comes over to us. "Johanna, there's someone you have to meet. Come on!"

"Oh, well, it was great talking to you," I lie to Lydia.

"You're doing great," Romulus pats my arm and I pull away.

"Don't touch me," I order and he steps away.

I socialize eat until I feel like I'm going to vomit. "Johanna, I haven't seen you in a while," Francine comes up to me and I acknowledge her.

"I feel sick," I tell her. "How much longer is this party?"

"Are you just full? Because you could take this pill in the bathroom," she places a capsule in my hand.

"It feels like more than that." I put my hand on my forehead. I'm burning up. "Seriously, how much longer is this?"

"Three hours," she informs me. "If it gets too bad, come find Romulus or me."

I throw the pill in a plant and walk up to an avox. "Is there any water here?" I ask her.

She shakes her head and I sigh. They have every alcoholic beverage in Panem but no water. It's pathetic. I thank her anyway and walk to a table in the corner.

I sit in a fancy chair and take a few deep breaths. I know I have to get back out there, so I shakily stand up.

I walk back out and a group of three people- two men and a woman- approach me. "I'm Carnie." The woman tells me. "These are my brothers Hubert and Pinta." She gestures toward the two men.

None of them look anything alike. One of the men- Hubert- has tattoos all over his face, purple hair, and turquoise skin. Carnie has bright red hair, purple skin, and feathers on her arms. Pinta actually looks fairly normal for a capitolite. He has bleach blond hair but other than that he looks fairly normal.

"I'm Johanna," I tell them, even though my peripheral vision is going fuzzy.

"My brother, Pinta, was wondering if he could dance with you," Hubert says.

"Um . . . yeah, okay," I follow him onto the dance floor and he grabs my waist.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something," he whispers.

"Go ahead," I feel my head spinning and I start to get dizzy.

"Have you heard of the rebellion?" his voice goes even quieter.

That's all I hear before everything goes black.

**One thousand words exactly. Yay for me. Please review!**


	20. Part Two: Chapter Ten

I run home in the morning. I slept in Richard's bed last night. Sarae made him give up his room. I see most of the people I pass looking at me.

Victory jumps up on me when I walk in the door. I wonder who fed her . . . I push her down and run to the phone in tears.

"Hello," Finnick picks up.

"He died," I sob. "He died right in front of my face."

"Johanna, I'm so sorry," he says. "When did it ?"

"Last night," I sniff.

"I'm truly sorry," he whispers.

"I don't want any pity," I cry. "It wasn't your fault, so don't apologize! It's all my fault."

"Johanna, it's not your fault. It's their fault," Finnick reassures me. "We know it. They know it too, because they obviously monitor the phone conversations."

"No shit, Finnick," I chuckle a tiny bit, before remembering that my baby brother is dead.

"You just laughed," Finnick says. "That's the first step in the right direction."

"Yeah, okay," I frown.

"I have to go," Finnick says. "If you need anything call me again."

"Bye." I hang up the phone and walk up the stairs to the bathroom. I stare at myself in the mirror. All I see is the girl who is responsible for the death of nine people. Seven of them under nineteen-years-old.

I'm overwhelmed with a sudden urge to cry, and tears start streaming down my face. I don't want to see myself. I don't want to accept the fact that I am a murderer. A serial killer. I don't want to recognize myself.

I dash down the hall and grab a pair of scissors from my bedroom drawer. I go back to the bathroom, take one last look in the mirror, take a few strands of hair in my hand, and chop it off.

I continue on like this until it's a pixie cut. A horrible pixie cut, that looks like I did it with my eyes shut, but it still passes as a pixie cut.

It's amazing how different I look without all my hair. I can't cover my face when I don't want to be noticed. I can't twirl my hair when I'm anxious. I can't even put it in a ponytail. But I still like it. No one would recognize me at first glance. I don't want to be recognized. Ever.

I close my eyes and slide to the floor. If mindreaders existed, they'd be terrified of me. My head is so messed up. I cover my ears to block out the screams I'm hearing, and curl up in fetal position.

_You can't lose it_, I order myself as I clutch at my sanity for dear life. _You have to pull yourself together. You don't have a breaking point. You're stronger than this._

I grab the shower curtain, and use it to pull myself up. I groan loudly and walk downstairs. I know I should eat, but I can't. I feel really sick.

I open my front door and fall into one of the chairs on my porch. I cover my face with my hands and cry. The fresh air feels good, but I'm still a wreck.

I hear footsteps on my porch but don't look up. I feel their presence next to me. I steal a glance and see Sarae.

"Want me to fix your hair," she bends down next to me. I just shrug.

She goes into my house and gets some scissors. For about twenty minutes, she works on my hair while I cry. When she finishes, she spikes it up and puts the scissors away.

"Johanna, we're here for you," Sarae gently pats my shoulder. "All of us. No matter what."

"I really appreciate it, Sarae, but you don't have to do that," I frown at her. "Richard and I just worked together. We never even liked each other. Koltan is sweet and I really like him, but none of you really owe me anything."

"I know that," she brushes some dust off my sleeve. "But it's the right thing to do."

I shake my head at her. "I don't want to be anyone's charity project."

"Okay," she doesn't seem convinced at all, but doesn't nag me about it. "We could cremate Jordan today at noon."

"That would be a great time," I tell her.

Then she's gone. She's such a kind lady. She always wants to help others, even though she's one of the poorest people in District Seven.

I check my watch- 10:30. It feels like it should be later.

I go upstairs and look at all the dresses in my closet. There won't be many people at the cremation, and I'll probably be the only person wearing a fancy dress, but it's still a funeral. I'm going to dress in the best black dress I have.

I grab a dress that ends a few inches above my knee and has long sleeves. I snatch a pearl necklace from my jewelry box, and hook it around my neck. I slide on a pair of black heels.

I go into Jordan's room and look for his baby blanket. He used to bring it everywhere with him. I always thought that he'd be cremated with it.

I walk out of my house at about 11:40, because it takes about fifteen minutes to get to the cremation spot in District Seven from the Victor's Village.

"Really embracing the life of fame and fortune, aren't you?" a jerk- who was probably in my class- taunts.

I grab his collar, pull him closer to me, and knee him in the crotch. "I can still kick your ass any day."

He exhales and mutters, "Where are you going anyway?"

"None of your business."

"Seriously, where?" he jogs to keep up with me.

"My little brother's cremation," I cross my arms.

"Oh my god," he says. "Jordan? He's my cousins friend. If I had known-"

I cut him off. "Exactly. People like you think you know everything. You think you can go around sharing your judgemental opinions, but no one actually gives a fuck. You don't know a fucking fuck about anyone's life. So, stay out of my way.

I flip him off as I walk away.

**I was listening to really happy songs while I wrote this . . . sometimes I worry about myself. Please review!**


	21. Part Three: Chapter One

**Prologue**

The road to recovery is long. It's full of obstacles that you can't avoid- you have to face them head-on. You're always going to fall, but you have to patch yourself up, and move on.

I'm slowly beginning to realize that.

_**Part Three: Chapter One**_

_You need to do this_, I remind myself. _It's been four months. _

I'm standing alone in the forest. I walked a long way to get here, so I doubt anyone will stumble upon me.

I look down at the four jars I'm holding. One has Dad's ashes. One has Mom's. One has Aqua's. One has Jordan's.

I open the jar that holds what remains of my father and scatter it on the ground. I do the same with the others.

After that, I just lie down in the dirt. I look up at the June sky. The weather in District Seven is perfect in May, June, and July.

It's hard to believe that I have to start mentoring in three months. I'm mentoring with Blight, which isn't much, but it's better than mentoring with Romulus.

"Hey." A sit up quickly and spin around. A girl that looks vaguely familiar stands there.

"You probably don't recognize me," she lays next to me. "I'm Gavon's little sister, Beatrice. I come here when I miss him."

"You're the one who was with my dad," I look at her and she nods sadly.

"I'm sorry," she frowns. "I didn't know he was your dad. I just . . . needed the extra cash."

"I get it," I tell her and she looks surprised. "It just breaks my heart. He's forty and your thirteen-"

"Fourteen," she corrects me. "I turned fourteen last month."

"Oh, shit," I curse. "I turned seventeen three months ago. I missed my birthday."

She giggles and I look at her. "Beatrice, I think Gavon had a good heart. I didn't like him, but I think he was a good person. Just in case you were worried."

"I wasn't," she looks at the sky. "He took care of us girls. My sister and me. Mom and Dad both have to work a lot, and he was there when they weren't."

"It wasn't like that in my family," I tell her. "When my dad left, Aqua, Jordan, and I were there to comfort Mom. When Aqua was little, and got bullied on the playground, we were there. When Aqua died, Mom, Jordan, and I comforted each other. Now I have no family."

She doesn't say anything, so we both just stare at the sky. I wonder what Jordan would be doing right now if he were still alive.

"I should go," I tell Beatrice. "I liked talking to you."

I jog back to my house, and open the door. My phone starts ringing and I run over to it. "Hello."

"Hey," Finnick sounds sullen.

"What's the matter?" I ask him.

"I'm about to go to the Capitol," he tells me.

"Can I come?" I ask.

"Why?" he questions.

"Well, it might make you feel better," I say. "You know, to have someone you can talk to . . . afterwards."

"That's actually really nice of you," Finnick says. "You could just hop on the next train that stops in District Four."

"Okay, see you in a few hours," I hang up the phone and go to the train station. Within five hours, my train is pulling into District Four.

"You cut you hair," Finnick says as he approaches me.

"Yeah," I shrug. "But that was months ago."

"It looks nice," he sits down next to me.

"Thanks."

He sighs loudly and I pat his shoulder. "Man, I don't want to go," he frowns. "It's just as bad every time. It doesn't get any better."

"Think about the people you love," I suggest. "You're doing it to keep them safe."

"In some ways you're lucky." I look at him, confused, and he clarifies, "You don't have anyone left who they can hurt. They can't touch you anymore."

"Yeah, but sometimes it feels like they stabbed me in the stomach and yanked upward," I tell him.

A nervous laugh comes out of his mouth. "If only we could've died in the games."

I nod because that would've been easier. "But we didn't, so we have to face it like adults. Even though we're both still teenagers."

"I can't believe that," Finnick laughs. "I turn eighteen in a month."

"I missed my birthday," I tell him. "I completely forgot about it. I just remembered this morning."

"Well, happy late birthday."

"I'm tired," I tell him. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," he mutters.

**This chapter was short and pretty bad but next chapter will be better. Please review!**


	22. Part Three: Chapter Two

I roll out of the guest room bed in Finnick's Capitol apartment. My legs feel like jelly, due to lack of sleep. I pull myself into the shower and massage my scalp. The water is so hot it stings my skin, but I don't mind. All my problems are running down my body and down the drain.

In about ten minutes, I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around myself. I put on a red tank top and skinny jeans.

I walk into the kitchen and grab a donut from the fridge. Since Finnick isn't here, I assume he's at an . . . appointment.

I lay down on Finnick's couch and turn on the television. I take a large bite of my donut and stare at my feet.

I should feel good. I got the closure I needed. But I feel empty. I don't have my family's ashes anymore. It makes me feel sick.

The front door opens, and Finnick enters. "Hey, Finnick."

He doesn't reply. He just walks into his bathroom and turns on the shower.

I focus on my hands. If not for the fact that we're victors, this situation would be weird. I'm a seventeen-year-old girl staying at an eighteen-year-old boy's apartment. If Mom were still alive, she'd never approve.

He comes out a few minutes later, drying his hair with a towel. He throws the towel into a corner and sits down next to me. I offer him a bite of my donut and he takes it.

"When's your next appointment?" I ask him.

"About three hours," he says.

"Want to watch some hunger games reruns?" I joke. "I think they're showing your games."

"I know that was a joke, but I actually do," he tells me.

I shrug. "Okay."

"It makes me feel better about doing . . . what I do. I killed innocent children. In some ways, I think I deserve it," he frowns and looks at the floor.

"None of us deserve it. You didn't know that the grass isn't greener on the other side. It was you or them," I pat his back.

"Yeah, but I volunteered," he leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees. "I got myself in that mess."

He winces as the screen shows him throwing a trident through someone's neck. "I wonder if that hurt," Finnick stares at the screen. "His body might have gone into shock and he didn't feel it."

"Yeah, maybe," I say.

"I hope he didn't feel it."

"Me too."

I stand up and walk into the kitchen. Finnick follows me in and says, "I'm going to go take a nap, because I'm exhausted. Can you wake me up in about two and a half hours?"

"Yeah, sure," I say. "Sleep well."

"Get up. We're going to breakfast," Finnick shakes me awake.

"Why? I'm tired," I hit him with my pillow.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"You are seriously pissing me off," I growl.

I crawl out of bed and put on a long, dark green, sleeveless dress. I wrap a thick, dark brown belt around my waist.

"Ready?" Finnick asks when I emerge from my room.

"I guess. Where are we going?"

"Just a normal restaurant. It's only a few minutes away from here," he informs me.

I follow him out of his apartment and we start walking. Lots of Capitolites stare at us as we walk. Only victors are allowed to visit the Capitol on a regular basis, but most don't. Even if they do, it's very rare they come in pairs.

"I don't like being looked at," I whisper to Finnick.

"You get use to it," he replies and I nod.

We get to the restaurant and are seated on the roof. "This is . . . nice," I say.

He shrugs. The waiter walks toward us nervously. "What can I get you?" he asks.

Finnick orders a complicated meal that I don't understand and I order a coffee. Finnick looks at me strangely and I shrug, "You dragged me out of bed before I was hungry."

The waiter walks away and I ask, "What was it that you need to talk to me about?"

Finnick looks over his shoulder and lowers his voice, "Have you heard of the rebellion?"

"Yeah. Some guy said something about it on the victory tour. What is it?" I ask.

"Some districts are thinking about rebelling. An astonishing amount of victors are with the rebellion," he tells me.

"Who's leading it?" Now, I'm interested.

"District Thirteen."

"What? That was destroyed sixty-eight years ago," I frown at him.

"No, it wasn't," Finnick says. "They just moved it underground. The Capitol knows about them, but they don't do anything."

"Which districts are considering it?" I question.

"Three, Four, Six, Seven, Eight, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve."

My jaw drops. "Seven? Why didn't I hear about this already? How are there so many districts?"

"We have at least one victor from all those districts that are ready to rebel," Finnick tells me.

"Which victors?"

"Beetee, Wiress, Carter, me, Mags, Kennedy, Blight, Romulus, Cecelia, Guinevere, Woof, Titan, Chaff, Seeder, and Haymitch."

I gape at him. "Finnick, that's unbelievable."

"I know."

"Why hasn't anyone rebelled yet?" I ask. "If there are so many victors . . ."

"We're still trying to get through to Five and Nine. One and Two are going to be harder, but we think we'll be able to get them," Finnick says.

The waiter comes over with our food and I accept my coffee. Once he's a safe distance away, Finnick continues, "You need to understand that this is a slow process. If there is a rebellion, it will probably be sometime within the next ten years. Plus, it will probably cause a lot of death."

"War always results in death, but sometimes it results in freedom," I say. "Imagine a world without the hunger games. A world where the children of Panem are safe!"

"It would be indescribable," Finnick smiles. "So are you in?"

I stare at him for a few long seconds before saying, "I'll fucking die to get this rebellion to happen."

**Please review!**


	23. Part Three: Chapter Three

**I am skipping ahead to the 69th hunger games.**

I anxiously sit next to Blight. All of the district stands before me. Most of them have faces clear with worry, either for themselves, a friend, or a relative. The few people who don't look worried look like they just want this to be over. I can't help but think that District Seven would be willing to rebel. We're pretty brave, aren't we?

I see Richard in the eighteen-year-old's section and feel a pang in my chest. I haven't talked to him since Jordan's funeral.

"Welcome," Francine says with a smile as she stands at the microphone. "Sixty-nine years ago the districts rebelled against the . . ."

She rambles on and I zone out as I always do. Until she starts toward the girls' bowl. Time for me to meet whoever I'm mentoring.

Francine plucks a little slip out of the bowl. "Ursula Jennings."

An eighteen-year-old girl in the second row shakily steps forward, her eyes wide. She has glossy black hair and ruby-red lips. Her dress is simple, just a typical white dress. In a moment, she calms down and walks to Francine with confidence.

Francine walks to the boys' bowl and pulls out a name. "Fabio Griffith."

Another eighteen-year-old walks up. He walks with cockiness but his eyes show fear. He has pale skin and blond hair. He's not handsome, but he's not ugly either.

He and Ursula shake hands and their taken to the justice building. The square empties and Blight and I sit alone on the stage.

"I can't know for sure until I meet her, but I think Ursula will have to go with sexy," I say to him.

"Probably," Blight agrees. "I'll most likely have Fabio go with confident."

"He'll probably be able to do that," I say.

"Neither of them will be able to pull a Mason," Blight stands up to go to the train station. I follow him.

"What the hell is a Mason?" I match his pace.

"What you did," he replies. "Others have tried but it's never worked. You were the first person to pull it off successfully."

"Really?" I ask. "It wasn't that hard."

"Really. You're just a good actress," he tells me.

We walk the rest of the way in silence. I head to the dining car for some food, and I know that's where are tributes will meet us.

Soon enough, Francine enters with the two of them. I push Blight's beer bottle across the table to prevent him from drinking in front of them.

He leans forward and to talk to them. "Fabio, my name is Blight. I'll be your mentor. Ursula, Johanna will be yours."

"That's not fair," Ursula complains.

"And why is that?" Blight asks her.

"She's just a kid! I'm older than she is!"

"And yet I know how to survive, and you don't," I scowl at her. "And I'm still alive after my games, and you probably won't be. I'm your only shot at winning this thing. You can take my advice or leave it."

"If you're my only shot, then I'm dead already," she says.

"Fine," I say to her. "Good luck at winning this, because I'm only doing what I'm required to do as a mentor." I smile evilly at her before turning to Blight. "Blight, call me out of my room for dinner."

I walk down the hall and into my bedroom. Being a mentor will be much easier than I thought. It will still suck watching her die, but at least I can't blame myself. If she won't accept my help, I won't offer it.

I lay down in my bed and stare at the ceiling. Unlike all the buildings in District Seven, the ceiling doesn't have cracks in it.

I allow myself to fall asleep.

"Johanna, it's time for dinner," Blight calls through my door.

"I'll be out in a minute," I yell. I change out of the dress I was wearing for the reaping and put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants.

I walk into the dining car and Francine's jaw drops. "_What_ are you wearing?"

I look down at my outfit and shrug. "Sweats and a sweatshirt."

"To dinner?!" she questions and I nod.

I sit at the table next to Blight and Francine. Ursula and Fabio are seated across from us.

"Chances are you're going to die," I say bluntly. "Only once has two tributes from the same district won in consecutive years. It's highly unlikely, but not impossible."

Ursula and Fabio look down at their food, avoiding eye contact.

They don't speak, so Blight and I converse about the Capitol food until the recaps of the reapings start.

Blight and I make each of them pinpoint possible weaknesses and memorize the name of each tribute.

"Did your mentor make you do this?!" Fabio asks after he gets his fifth one wrong.

"No, and I definitely wouldn't have this scar if they had." I pull up my sweatshirt and point to my scar. It's the one I got during the last battle in my games, when Jemi jabbed my side with her spear. "If I had known Jemi's strengths and weak spots, she wouldn't have been able to stab me."

"She's right," Ursula says to Fabio. "If we don't want to wind up stabbed in the side like this idiot, we'll need to know our opponents better than they know themselves."

"Yes," Blight agrees with her. "That's the only way you'll have a shot at living."

"Now, as I was saying, what is the name of the District Five girl?" I continue.

"Evelyn Grahm," Fabio answers.

"And what is her weak spot?"

"Her left knee," Ursula answers. "She walking with a slight limp."

"Exactly."

**Please review!**


	24. Part Three: Chapter Four

As we walk to the training center, photographers attack us with photographs and questions. Blight and I keep them away from Fabio and Ursula, and in no time, we arrive at our destination.

"Francine, will you show Ursula and Fabio their rooms?" Blight asks.

"Of course," Francine chirps. "Come along, you two."

"Sometimes, mentors meet up in a local bar once their tributes get to the training center," Blight says to me. "Eleven and Twelve are going to get in tomorrow morning, and everyone's meeting up there for lunch. You in?"

"Yeah, sure," I say. "I might as well get to know them, since I'll be working with them for the rest of my life."

"Maybe," he whispers and I smile.

"Right," I say.

Francine and Fabio come back in and Francine announces, "Ursula is feeling a bit nauseous. I told her to rest, and I sent for a doctor."

"Thank you, Francine," I say, before turning to Fabio. "You can do whatever you want until dinner. I suggest that you relax your muscles, your training starts in two days, and it's going to be brutal."

"Yeah, whatever," Fabio scowls and walks back to his room.

"Why do they hate me?" I ask Blight.

"They're hormonal teenagers," Blight shrugs.

"I'm a hormonal teenager, and I don't act like them!"

Blight laughs and says, "Yeah, you do."

I scowl. "You're such an ass."

He just smiles and laughs. "I can live with that."

I thwack the side of his head. "Shut up."

"Don't thwack me," he rubs his head.

"I'll do whatever I want," I snap.

"Someone's in a mood," Blight teases. "Is it your time of the month?"

"I said shut up!" I shove him against the wall playfully. "You really are an ass."

"I can still live with that," Blight laughs at me.

"I want to cut you into little pieces with my axe," I growl.

"Have fun with that," Blight says.

"What? You don't think I could take you?"

"Johanna, I know for a fact that you can take me," Blight says. "Though small, you're vicious and persistent, and I'm out of shape."

"You really are," I say, patting the flab on his stomach. "You should start working out."

"Sometimes I think about it, but then I decide that I don't care enough."

"You could get surgery," Francine suggests. "I know a guy."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Francine," Blight says. Most of the District Seven victors have mastered how to talk to Francine.

Francine smiles and says, "I have a meeting with some important Capitol people. Please, don't murder your tributes."

"Yes, Francine." Blight rolls his eyes at me, and I smother a laugh.

Francine walks to the elevator, and- once she's out of hearing range- I mutter, "Yes, mother."

Blight laughs and says, "She's so stupid."

"She only hears what she wants to hear," I chuckle.

"Total idiot."

"So, where's this bar you were talking about?" I ask Blight as we walk down the Capitol street.

"Just another block," Blight replies. He lowers his voice and says, "By the way, this is actually a meeting for victors in the rebellion."

"Why are we going to a _Capitol_ bar?" I ask him.

"We have Capitol allies," he whispers back. "Odair was supposed to tell you that."

"Don't trust him with anything," I say.

We walk into a small, black building that smells like alcohol. The mentors from Three, Four, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve are already here. I slide into a seat next to Finnick and Mags.

"So we're just waiting for Six and Eight?" I ask Finnick.

"No, just Eight," he replies. "The Six mentors this year aren't the ones we have involved. They're mentoring next year though, so they'll get to be a part of this meeting then."

"Finnick, how often are you the District Four mentor?" I ask.

"Most years," he replies. "I've mentored in all except the 67th. I have two more years before I get another year off. What about you?"

"I'm stuck mentoring until District Seven gets another female victor. Patrice is too old to mentor anymore, and since Chantel died . . ." **A/N: I'm pretty sure I gave a name to an old, female victor in District Seven, but I couldn't find where I wrote it, so Patrice is the new name.**

"That sucks," Finnick says and I quickly change the topic.

"Do you think your tributes have a chance this year?" I ask him.

"Our boy is okay. He'll probably make it to the final eight, but I don't think he'll win. Our girl is a cocky bitch who's going to die in the bloodbath. She was actually my first crush, back when I was ten. Now, I am excited to watch her die."

"What a cheerful thought," I say sarcastically.

He chuckles, and Cecelia and Woof walk in. Woof sits down at the bar and Cecelia puts her hand on her stomach.

"How far along are you?" I hear Chaff ask her.

"Two months," she replies.

"Congratulations," Seeder says to her.

Cecelia just nods, and Chaff begins talking, "Since, President Coin isn't here, I'll start talking."

"Who's President Coin?" I ask.

"The leader of the rebellion," Blight says. "Finnick was suppose to tell you that."

"Never trust Finnick with anything," I say. Finnick hits my arm and I laugh.

"Before we have a chance at succeeding, we need to get Five and Nine," Chaff says. "Do any of us . . . socialize with any of those victors?"

"I don't really know anyone," I say.

"Which is why you aren't very useful at the moment," Haymitch says.

"Then, why am I here?" I ask.

"Because your family's dead," Haymitch replies bluntly.

I take a swig of beer and mutter, "Don't pick at healing wounds."

He shrugs. "You asked the question. If you can't take the answer, don't ask it."

"Fucking bastard," I rise from my chair, but Finnick pulls me back down.

"Lay off her," Blight warns Haymitch.

"Shut the hell up, Blight," I growl.

"Moving on," Chaff interrupts the argument. "The number one priority is to get Five and Nine on board. So, we all have to suck up to those mentors."

**Please review!**


	25. Part Three: Chapter Five

"So, the tribute parade is tomorrow night," Blight says to Fabio and Ursula at dinner. "Your prep team will come and get you in the morning."

"What they do to you will hurt like hell and the costumes they put you in are shit, but you can't complain," I instruct. "Your stylists can get you sponsors, but they can also get rid of them. You will die without sponsors."

"You didn't," Ursula growls. "And I'm better than you."

"No, you're not," I slam my fist on the table. "I'm adept with a weapon, I'm smart, and I wasn't cocky. You are none of those things, so if you want to have a damn chance, then you need to listen to me. Another way you're different from me, is that your mentor actually gives a damn about you. Mine told me I'd be the first to die. Are you ready to listen to what I say?"

"You act like you're so tough," Ursula spits. "You're not! Are you even trying to be happy? You're seventeen, and you had it easy in your games, and now you're rich and famous!"

"I did have it easy in my games," I say. "I never got attacked by mutts, I had all the food and water I needed, and I had a weapon. But that doesn't mean that my life now is easy! I've been through hell and back, and if you're looking for happiness, then you should die in the games. Life as a victor isn't what it looks like. Have you noticed that the majority of the victors are either extreme alcoholics or drug addicts!? Did you think that was a coincidence?"

"How bad can it be? You're alive!"

I clench my fists. "Blight, please interrupt me before I say something stupid."

"Johanna's right," Blight says. "If you want to live, you need sponsors. So, don't complain or object to anything they say or do to you."

I stare at the pair of them. Ursula looks annoyed, and Fabio looks like he's going to be sick. "Fabio, are you feeling okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'm just accepting the fact that I'm going to die," Fabio gulps.

I shrug. "If you're lucky."

I approach the District Seven chariot. "Shocking. They're trees," I whisper to Blight. "Were you a tree too?"

Blight nods and I laugh. "District Seven stylists are _so_ creative."

"I look awful," Ursula pouts.

"We always do," I say to her.

"District Twelve is better than us," Ursula crosses her arms.

"That's accurate," Fabio mutters.

"Well, you both need to look confident," Blight instructs. "Smile at the crowd but no waving."

They both nod at us, and Blight and I head off to the victor's section to watch the parade. I slide into a seat next to Finnick.

"Hey," he says to me.

"What are your tributes dressed as?" I ask him.

He laughs. "Fish."

"Ours are trees," I say.

"Seven is always trees," Finnick elbows me.

"I'm pretty sure we've been trees every year since the beginning," I say.

"We definitely have," Blight says. "I've watched every hunger games."

"Why?" I ask.

"I don't know," Blight says. "To distract myself, maybe."

"I've watched most of them," Finnick says. "You watched mine with me."

"I try to stay away from the television," I frown. "It's always depressing."

"That it is," Finnick nods.

"It's starting," Blight elbows me.

District One comes out of the gate first. They're both in jumpsuits, covered in bright, sparkling jewels. District Two is dressed in metal, the girl is wearing what looks like a short, copper dress, and the boy is shirtless with copper pants. They have hats covered in stones. District Three is wrapped in wires from head to toe. District Four is fish, like Finnick said. They look almost as bad as our tributes. District Five is wearing mini solar panels, with a giant one on their head. District Six are wearing wheels. They are literally covered in wheels. Seven looks even more stupid than they did upclose. Eight is covered in needles. They look like giant porcupines. Nine is in body suits made of wheat. Both for Ten are dressed as cowboys. Eleven is practically naked. They're both wearing underwear made of leaves, and the girl has two large leaves covering her breasts. They look extremely uncomfortable. District Twelve are miners.

Finnick nudges me, "No twelve-year-olds this year."

"Yeah," I say. "By the way, District Eleven's costumes look exactly the same as District Four in your games."

"No, our underwear was made of kelp," Finnick informs me.

"Oh, because that makes it so different," I laugh.

"It's sad that Eleven looks better than almost anyone and they're almost naked," Finnick muses.

"It's pathetic," I say. "But the light leaves do look good against their skin."

Finnick just nods. The tributes circle around the city three times before stopping at the center of the city. Snow gives his annual speech, and the tributes are taken away.

All the mentors get up, and go to find their tributes. Blight spots Fabio and Ursula standing by the District Eight tributes, and waves them over.

"Good job," Blight says to them. "Now, let's go back to our floor and eat dinner."

They follow us to the elevator, and we go up to floor seven. Ursula and Fabio go to their rooms to change, and Blight and I join Francine at the table.

I ask the avox for food, and she's back with it in a few minutes. Ursula and Fabio join us at the table, and we all start eating.

"Tomorrow, you start your training," I say. "Alliances are good. Try to form alliances."

"They'll get you more sponsors too," Blight adds.

"Yes, and I'd suggest you two stay together," I say. "Maybe you could pair up with the tributes from another district. Stay away from the Careers, though. We all know what happened to my district partner. It happens whenever someone teams up with them."

"We won't," Fabio says. "Don't worry."

"Good. Now let's watch the parade."

**Please review!**


	26. Part Three: Chapter Six

**I'm skipping most of Ursula and Fabio's training.**

"Ursula and Fabio are probably about to start their private sessions," I say as I check the time. "Have they allied with another district?"

"They might today," Blight says. "They said they would try."

"They should," I mutter. "If they don't, they're stupid."

"They're stupid no matter what," Blight laughs. "I don't like their chances."

"I don't either, but we still have to try," I say.

"I know," he says. "I would never give up on a tribute."

I nod at him, and we join Francine at the table. I order my food, and turn to Francine, "What do the Capitol people think of Fabio and Ursula?"

"It's still pretty undecided," Francine tells. "It will become obvious after they get their scores. What about sponsors?"

"Not great," Blight frowns. "Most people are betting on Careers, as usual. We have a few set up, though."

"That's good," Francine smiles. "I like our tributes this year. They're spunky. I'm a bit worried about Fabio, though. He seems a bit off."

"He does," I agree with Francine. "Blight, do you think we should ask him about it?"

"No," Blight shakes his head. "He's probably just scared. If we get it into his head that he could be sick, then we might scare him even more."

"You're probably right," I nod, and run my hand through my spiky hair. "It must be his nerves."

Ursula and Fabio step out of the elevator. "How'd you do?" I ask immediately.

They both shrug. Ursula starts, "I think I did pretty well. I tied a few knots and threw some knives. The usual stuff."

"I identified plants and threw a spear," Fabio says.

"We can work with that," Blight says. "What about alliances?"

"We allied with the District Nine tributes," Ursula crosses her arms.

I glance at Blight. _District Nine_. One of the districts we don't have.

"Why are we in a supply closet?" I ask Blight, after he shuts the door to a two-story supply closet.

"They allied with District Nine," he answers. "How are we going to get the mentors?"

"Who's mentoring District Nine this year?" I ask.

"Lydia and Truff," he says.

"We could appeal to their good nature," I suggest. "If one of their tributes die in a horrible way, we could pull them aside and bring it up."

"That could work, but we have to get close to them first," Blight says. "Can you be nice?"

"I can try."

Blight freezes suddenly. He tilts his head to the side. In an instant, he grabs my arm, and pulls me toward the ladder that leads to the second floor. He flies up the ladder, and offers me his hand. I take it and he pulls me up just as the door opens.

Fabio walks in and starts walking to the ladder. Blight and I run to the opposite side of the closet, and hurry out the door. Behind us, we hear muffled sobs.

"Blight, I think we should be worried about him," I whisper.

"Yeah, we probably should be."

"Where are we?" I ask as I look around.

"The District Eight floor," he replies. "We need to move, someone's coming."

He leads me down a corridor and into the District Eight dining room.

"How did you know that someone was coming?" I ask. "And how did you know Fabio was about to go into the supply closet?"

He shrugs. "I can feel vibrations."

"That's really cool."

"It's the only reason I won my games," he says. "Anyway, we have to go to the elevators. No one's near us, so we should be in the clear."

We tiptoe to the elevators, and quickly go back to our floor. "Let's go get Fabio."

We walk back to the closet and call, "Fabio! We know you're in there! Come out!"

He hops down, completely ignoring the ladder and pushes past us. He goes into his room and Blight looks at me. I shake my head. "I think he's depressed. There's nothing we can do, except prevent it from getting worse."

"I know," Blight frowns. "Let's just get some rest before the scores are announced."

We all sit in the living room, staring at the television. The worst Career get an 8 and the best gets 10. The others get anywhere between 3 and 8. Ursula gets a six and Fabio gets a five.

"You guys are right in the middle of the pack," I say. "That's good and bad. It means you can still get sponsors, and you won't be targeted immediately due to high scores. You have to kick ass at your interview, though."

"Johanna's right," Blight says. "We'll be coaching you tomorrow, so get some sleep today. Francine will make you want to rip your feet off."

"Ursula, you and Fabio are both going to appear confident," I say. "So, Blight and I are going to ask you questions, and you just have to answer confidently."

"What do you think of your score?" Blight asks.

"I think six is a perfectly fine score. It doesn't matter what my score is, I know I can win this game."

"Tell me about your family," I say.

"I have three older brothers. We live with our aunt and uncle because my parents died when we were young."

"Do you like your dress?" Blight questions.

"I absolutely adore it. It's stunning, don't you think?"

"What do you think of your district partner?" I ask.

"Fabio's great. I think he will last pretty long."

"Do you see any alliances forming?"

"Districts One, Two, and Four have teamed up, and I have an alliance of four."

"Do you have any boy back home?" Blight asks.

"No. I'm fiercely independent," she answers.

"That was good," I say. "It's smart to turn the question back to Caesar. He really does try to help you as much as he can."

"We should try a few other ways too," Blight suggests. "In case it works better."

"Good idea," I nod. "Let's start with . . . sexy."

**Please review!**


	27. Part Three: Chapter Seven

"Is this going to be as awful as I think it is?" I ask Finnick as I slide into my seat.

"The interviews are always boring," he replies. "You just have to suck it up."

"God, I hate mentoring," I mutter. "I think my tributes are going to screw up so badly."

"Half of them do," Blight shrugs.

"That's unfortunate," I say.

"I suppose," Blight muses. "Although some of the mentors gamble on it. I've made some good money betting on which tributes mess up."

"That's sick," Finnick shakes his head at Blight. "They're being prepared for slaughter and you bet on whether they'll stutter, even though inside they're probably terrified. I know I was."

"I wasn't," I say to no one in particular.

"Probably because you knew you were going to screw up," Blight rolls his eyes. "It was all part of your plan."

"Exactly."

Music starts up suddenly, and everyone's attention turns to the stage. Caesar Flickerman smiles brightly at the crowd. This year he's yellow all over. Yellow hair, yellow suit, yellow everything.

He raises his microphone to his lips and asks, "Is everyone excited to meet this year's tributes?" The crowd cheers. "Well, I don't want to keep you waiting! Let's give a nice, warm welcome to our first tribute - Emerald Halter!"

The crowd cheers even louder and a tall, blond girl sits next to Caesar. Her dress is a light green to match her eyes. It clings to her slim figure flatteringly, but hardly covers her up. She twirls a strand of curly hair around her finger. She's obviously going for sexy.

Her district partner - Polyester Welsch - comes next. Like Emerald, his angle is sexy. He's wearing fitted black pants, and a see-through shirt revealing his abs. His black hair appears to shine.

Third is Carlene Miro. Her short, dark brown hair frames her face perfectly. Her blue dress is elegant and trails on the floor. Still, she has a toughness about her that no one can deny.

The next boy - Tanner Frish- is huge. He's well over six feet tall with muscles double the size of my head. He has a long scar running from his ear to the bottom of his neck. He's far from handsome, but he's terrifying.

The girl after him looks like she could be his opposite. Spark West. The poor girl is only twelve. She's small for her age, probably a few inches under five feet. If she is to survive this - which she won't - she'd become very pretty. Her light brown hair is piled on top of her head into an elaborate hairdo. Her blood-red dress comes down to her mid-thigh. She looks like she couldn't hurt a fly.

After Spark comes Bryan Tomson. He's pretty average-looking. His stylist but him in a dark blue suit that matches the rims on his glasses.

District Four's girl is named Tide Reller. She's pretty in a stereotypical way. Tall and thin, long black hair, tan skin. Her golden dress looks gorgeous next to her hair. She has an obvious cockiness to her.

Next is Ritch Catcher. He's stocky and fairly muscular. His blond hair is spiked up and is dressed in a black suit with dark blue lining.

Evelyn Grahm limps over to her chair. Her dirty blond hair is pulled over her left shoulder, and her long green dress appears to be reflecting the sunlight from a window in the back of the room.

Todd Istan is one of the scrawniest boys I've ever seen. His curly blond hair bounces as he moves. He's wearing a tailored suit.

Next is Wanda Trimino. She's the tallest and skinniest of this year's female tributes. You can practically see all her bones. She must be extremely poor and took a ton of tesserae.

Wanda's district partner is Rail Listeen. He's average height and build, but his hair is out of this world. It's _bright_ red. His hair is redder than blood.

Next is Ursula. She looks pretty in her short, yellow dress. Her light hair falls just above her shoulders. I force myself to pay attention to her interview.

"Hello, Ursula," Caesar smiles. "Are you excited to be here?"

"Very excited, Caesar," Ursula beams.

"Wonderful! So, Ursula, do you think you're ready for the games?"

"As ready as I can be," she replies. "I trained hard, and I think I know enough."

"That's always good to hear," he says. "If you don't mind, would you tell me about your family? I'm sure everyone would like to know who contributed to you being such a civilized girl!"

"Oh, thank you, Caesar," Ursula gushes. "And I don't mind telling you about my family! I have three older brothers, and my aunt and uncle raised us since I was three. My aunt and uncle work in the lumber yard. We're all really close."

"That's nice! Close family bonds are always touching," Caesar says. "Do you have any special someone back home?"

"Not yet, Caesar. I'm pretty independent though, so I don't worry about it."

"So, are you happy with your training score, Ursula?"

"I'm perfectly fine with it! What's wrong with a six? I know that I can win, and that's all that matters!"

"That's a good way to think of things!" The buzzer sounds, and Ursula walks off the stage.

Fabio is wearing a white pants and a black button-up. He sits down next to Caesar and plasters a very fake smile on his face.

"Fabio, it's wonderful to meet you," Caesar beams.

"You too, Caesar."

"So, Fabio, tell me about yourself. What are your interests? What's life like for you back in District Seven?"

"I've loved plants and animals since I was a little kid. When I was about eleven I actually read a ton of books about them."

"That could give you a boost during the games," Caesar exclaims. "You know, knowing what plants are edible and what provokes dangerous animals."

"That's what I thought."

"What about your friends and family? A handsome lad like you most have a special girl back home!"

"A special girl?" Fabio questions. "Not me. As for my family, I have a pretty big family. I'm an only child, but I don't only live with my immediate family. There's my grandpa, along with my Aunt Bella, Aunt Tamila, and Uncle Stevie. Plus, I have seven cousins."

"Wow! You must have a really big house!"

"Not really," Fabio says. "I share a room with all my cousins, and everyone else shares the other bedroom."

"So, there's eight of you in one room, and five of you in the other?" Caesar raises his eyebrows. "How big are these rooms?"

"Big enough to fit two beds in each. Some of us sleep on the floor."

The buzzer sounds and I smile. Fabio just gave the Capitol a taste of district life.

I try to pay attention to the other tributes, but only one sticks out to me- Titus Commor. He's big, but not scarily so. It's the look in his eyes that gets me. He looks absolutely insane. It's actually terrifying. I better warn Ursula and Fabio to look out for him because he will be dangerous.

**I'm **_**so**_** sorry for taking so long to get this story updated! I got wrapped up in some school work and am extremely lazy! Please review despite my laziness!**


	28. Part Three: Chapter Eight

I look around the room that the mentors mentor in. On one wall there is twenty-four screens, each marked with a number and a name (district and tribute). In front of the screens are plush chairs for each mentor. On the opposite wall, is a gigantic television screen that shows what's being seen live. There are a few couches and a table in front of it. On a different wall is a table full of fancy Capitol drinks and snacks.

The other mentors are sitting in front of the screen with their tribute on it, so I sit next to Blight in front of Ursula's screen.

_60_

The countdown starts, and the mentors turn anxiously to their screens. I glance at Blight and, he frowns at me.

I bite my lip. I don't know why I feel so nervous. It's not my life on the line. Maybe all the mentors feel like this.

One side of the arena is mountains and the other side is a forest. I make a silent prayer that Ursula runs to the forest.

On my screen, Ursula looks around for her alliance members. Fabio is five platforms to her left, Molli Nander from District Nine is one to her right, and Aaron Swift from District Nine is seven to her right.

She tilts her head backward, indicating to her alliance to run away from the Cornucopia. Fabio nods at her.

The gong rings and everyone immediately starts running. Fabio and Aaron run to the forest, and Ursula and Molli each run a few feet forward and grab a backpack before following Aaron and Fabio into the woods. Fabio and Aaron pause only for a moment to make sure that Molli and Ursula are following them.

"GO," Molli yells to them.

They obey and keep running through the forest. Out of all of them, Fabio is the lightest on his feet and the fastest, so he leads the group. Aaron stumbles on a tree branch, but Ursula and Molli are right behind him, and they each grab one of his elbows to steady him.

All over the room, screens are turning black and mentors are throwing their hands in the air in defeat. The mentors for District One and Two are snickering.

Ursula, Fabio, Molli, and Aaron stop running when they get to a stream. Molli and Ursula sit on a boulder and start unpacking their packs. They find a pack of crackers, two water bottles, night vision goggles, two sleeping bags, a pack dried fruit, a rope, water purifiers, and a dagger.

The cannons start up. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10_. 10 deaths. 10 grieving families. 14 possible victors left.

Ursula tosses Fabio one of the water bottles. "Fill this up."

Fabio does as instructed and puts a purifier in it. Molli does the same for the other one. They each eat three crackers and take a sip of water.

Molli looks up to see the sun setting. "We should probably make camp for the night. The Careers will start searching for their next victims soon."

"Where?" Aaron asks, looking around.

"In the trees, obviously," Ursula says.

"We'll help you," Fabio adds.

They shove all the supplies back into their backpacks, except for the dagger, which Molli slides into her belt.

They walk to a tree that's a little while away from the stream, and Fabio climbs to the lowest branch. Ursula and Molli use their hands as platforms to get Aaron up to Fabio. Fabio grabs his hand and pulls him up. Ursula boosts Molli up, and Fabio and Aaron grab her arm. Ursula shimmies up the tree by herself.

They pull out the sleeping bags. Ursula says, "Fabio, Aaron, you guys should share a sleeping bag."

"What? Why us?" Aaron asks.

"Ursula's right," Molli takes Ursula's side. "Aaron, despite the fact that you're younger than all of us, you're taller and more muscular, and Fabio is smaller than Ursula and me. It makes sense to put the smallest and biggest together."

Fabio sighs. "They're right. It makes the most sense."

They all crawl into their sleeping bags and tie a rope around themselves. The anthem starts and faces begin appearing on the screen. Bryan Thompson- District Three. Tide Reller- District Four. Evelyn Grahm- District Five. Rail Listeen- District Six. Wanda Trimino- District Six. Stitch Kirst- District Eight. Taliya Palo- District Eight. Trent Eyerman- District Eleven. Paulina Westing- District Eleven. Isra Touch- District Twelve.

The Capitol seal disappears. "Looks like we survived the first day," Aaron says.

"Don't jinx it," Molli scolds. "The Careers could still find us tonight."

"Or another tribute," Ursula says. "Like that District Ten boy. What's his name? Titus?"

"That guy gives me the creeps," Fabio shudders.

"He gives us all the creeps," Aaron says.

I rise from my chair and Blight turns his head. "Where are you going?" he asks.

"To get a drink," I reply. "Want anything?"

He shakes his head. I walk over to the snack table and grab a sparkly blue drink. I feel someone's presence beside me and turn my head. "Finnick."

"Johanna." He grabs a small cake-like thing and takes a bite. "God, I will never get used to Capitol food."

I take a sip of my drink and grin. "I know what you mean."

"Your tributes allied with Nine, right?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "Your girl died in the bloodbath."

"No surprise there," he chuckles. "She went after the District Ten boy."

"Titus. He has a terrifying look in his eyes."

"That he does."

I take another sip of my drink; the sickly sweet taste fills my mouth. "Who do you think is gonna win?"

"One of District Two's." He takes a gigantic bite out of his cake.

"You have frosting on your lip," I inform him.

He licks his bottom lip. "No, I don't."

"Your top lip, nitwit. Not your bottom one!"

He licks his top lip. "Better?" He makes a ridiculous face.

"No. Now you look like a goddamn fish."

**Please review!**


	29. Part Three: Chapter Nine

Ursula, Fabio, Molli, and Aaron are hiking through the woods. Aaron clearly isn't adept at it, because he continuously trips over sticks and stones. He falls into Molli.

"Watch it, dumbass," she growls. "You're going to get us all killed if you keep making so much noise."

"Sorry," he mutters.

Beside me, Blight pulls me to my feet. "We need to talk to Lydia and Truff," he says.

I sigh, but walk over to the District Nine mentors. I whirl the chair for the District Eight girl's (deceased) mentor around to face them and sit. "What do Molli and Aaron have as far as sponsors go?" I ask.

"Molli has a few because of her seven in training. Aaron has next to none," Lydia replies. She pushes her blonde hair out of her face.

"Same with Ursula and Fabio," Blight says.

A cannon sounds, and I look at the screen that shows what's happening live. Todd Istan from District Five. Thirteen tributes left.

I turn back to Lydia, Truff, and Blight. "We should meet with potential sponsors and suck up to them. Get them to sponsor Ursula or Molli," Blight suggests.

"Johanna and I could do that because we're their mentors," Lydia says. "You and Truff could keep an eye on them while we're gone. You could send a note if something important happens."

"That'd work," Blight says. "You should make a lunch date."

"I'll do that." Lydia stands up and walks out of the room.

I focus on Ursula, Fabio, Molli, and Aaron. Aaron sits down on a rock, and Molli scowls at him. "I didn't say we could stop."

"Molli, I need to breathe," Aaron pants. "I'm no good at this."

"I don't care," she growls. "We have to keep moving."

"But I -"

"Just let him sit," Ursula snaps. "If we get attacked and he can't run, what good will it do?"

"I don't need him to run," Molli says. "I need him to fight."

"He's sure as hell not gonna be able to fight if he can't run." Ursula passes Aaron a bottle of water. He takes a sip and hands it to Fabio.

"This is ridiculous," Molli complains after her sip. "If we have to keep stopping every ten minutes, we'll run out of water in no time."

"Then, why are we moving?" Fabio asks. "Why not just set up camp and stay there?"

"We're more likely to get attacked by mutts if we stay in the same place," Ursula answers for Molli.

"He was asking _me_, not you," Molli snaps.

"God, she's such a bitch," Lydia says, startling me. "Worse than Ursula."

"When did you get back?" I ask.

"Just a minute ago," she replies. "We have lunch with potential sponsors at 12:30."

I just nod at her and turn back to the screen.

Molli is clutching her cheek. "Did you actually just slap me?!" she yells at Ursula.

"Hell yeah," Ursula yells back. "Now, would you stop being a bitch about everything?!"

"You little -"

Fabio interjects, "Stop it, both of you. If there are any tributes or wild animals within a mile they've heard you two screaming at each other."

That brings them both up short. "How about we take a bit of a break to eat a few crackers," Fabio suggests. "Maybe cool down a bit."

"Fabio's right," Ursula says. "We're all hungry and it's making us crazy. We should cool off."

They all sit down next to Aaron. I look at the clock on the wall. 11:45.

"I'm going to go get ready," I announce. "Lunch is in forty-five minutes."

I take the elevator up to the floor the mentors sleep on and into my bedroom. I open the closet which I have already established is full of clothes that are exactly my size.

I take out an ankle length dress with a tribal print. I pull it over my head and examine myself in the mirror. It feels like it's missing something, so I hook a ruby necklace - courtesy of a jewelry box on the dresser - around my neck.

I spike up my hair and put on a pair of wedges before falling back onto my bed. _I hate mentoring. It involves meeting Capitolites. I don't even like normal people._

I force myself into a sitting position and stare down at my hands. I haven't cut down any trees since Jordan's death but my hands are calloused from doing it for so many years. For some reason, I find myself thinking of Victory. My dog is back at home fending for herself. She's a tough dog, though. She'll find a way to feed herself.

I stand up and walk back into the hallway. Lydia is standing in the hall already. "You ready?" she asks.

I nod and we walk to the elevator. "Is there some sort of way we're supposed to do this?" I question.

"Oh, you know how it is," she says. I give her a puzzled look. "Oh, right. You don't. You just seem older than you are. You radiate wisdom. Like you've been through more than a seventeen-year-old should have."

"I have," I say simply.

"Well, anyway, we go in there, and say good things about our tributes, compliment the sponsors on their outfits, and act like we have full confidence that either Molli or Ursula will win."

"So we lie," I say.

"Essentially."

"I'm good at lying," I say to myself. "What restaurant are we going to, anyway?"

"It's the one in the lobby," Lydia replies as she presses the lobby button.

"That close?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yes," she says as the doors open. "Shall we go in?"

**Okay, so Titus is going to be the cannibal mentioned in the book. I couldn't remember what district he was from, and the whereabouts of my **_**Hunger Games**_** book are currently unknown, so I couldn't check. Therefore, for the purpose of this story, Titus is from District Ten. Also, can someone tell me how he died? Was it an avalanche or a landslide? Please review!**


	30. Part Three: Chapter Ten

After our lunch with the potential sponsors (we got them to sponsor Molli), Lydia and I make our way back to the mentor's room.

"That was a filling lunch," I muse, rubbing my belly.

"Oh, yes. The Capitol is very gracious to us," she says. I gape at her. Did a victor actually just call _the Capitol_ gracious?

She notices my expression and sighs, before looking around to make sure no one is within hearing distance of us. She whispers, "Johanna, I know that most of the victors hate the Capitol, and they have good reason, but the Capitol has never done anything that bad to me. I never had to kill a tribute in my games, I never did anything that pissed Snow off enough for him to go after my loved ones, and I was never desirable enough for the Capitol to want me. I know that they do inhumane things to district people, but they never did anything to _me_ in particular.I don't care if this makes me self absorbed, but I don't want to risk my life speaking out against the Capitol."

I stare at her blankly for a moment before shaking my head. "How could you be such a coward!? You watch children from your home, along with children from other districts, die horrendous deaths every fucking year and you can talk about how amazing the Capitol is. If you stepped into a church, you'd burst into flames. You're nothing more than a selfish piece of shit."

She drops her gaze. "I know. I care more about my well-being than justice for hundreds - no, thousands - of murdered children. It's a natural instinct to want to protect yourself over all others."

"Fifteen-hundred seventy-five," I say.

"What?" she asks.

"The blood of the fifteen-hundred seventy-five children who have died in the hunger games is now on your hands. Not to mention the ones who have starved to death against the side of an old, ratty building. The ones who were forced into a life of labor at age seven and died due to poor working conditions. THE ONES WHO WERE MURDERED BECAUSE OF THEIR GODDAMN RELATIVES!"

"I know it's not something to be proud of," Lydia says, her voice barely a whisper. "And I'm not. It's just the way things are."

"Burn in hell, bitch," I growl at her as I storm into the room. I sit in my chair and stare up at the little screen.

Blight turns to me and asks, "Did you get the sponsors?"

I nod and say, "Did I miss anything while we were at lunch?"

"The District Twelve boy, Cutcher Blu, finally killed that squirrel he was stalking. He's trying to start a fire for cooking it without much avail."

"Well, if that's not quality entertainment, then what is?" Finnick approaches us from behind, making me jump.

Blight walks back over to Truff and I smile at Finnick. "Odair," I say.

"Mason," he replies.

"How're your tributes doing?" I ask.

"_Tribute_," he corrects. "Our girl died in the bloodbath, remember?"

"Right. Sorry."

"Our _tribute_ is doing well with the Careers. There's nothing even remotely special about him," Finnick informs me. "What about yours?"

"Still trekking through the woods," I say. "That and trying not to rip each other's throats out."

"I don't see why they don't," Finnick says. "It would be a good idea to take out the competition."

"It's also a good idea to have allies," I counter.

"What would you know about alliances?" Finnick raises an eyebrow at me.

I bite my lip. "I know they often end bloodily."

An avox walks in and hands Finnick a piece of paper. He glances down at it causing me - and a couple of other people - to stare at him.

"It's an address," he explains to me. "I just really don't want to do this today."

"I'm sorry," I say.

He shrugs. "It's not your fault." He looks down at the piece of paper again and lets out a strained laugh. "In fact, it's no one's fault but my own. I volunteered for these fucking games. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Finnick, you were just a kid." I pat his arm reassuringly.

"Johanna, we're still just kids. Both of us," he says, shaking his head. "No kid should have to go through what we go through."

"But we do, so we'll have to endure to consequences," I tell him. "For now, at least."

He nods and walks out without another word. I watch him go, frowning.

I feel a hand grab my arm and look up to see Blight. "I think I left something on our floor. Would you accompany me?"

I nod at him and he drags me onto the elevator. He doesn't say a word on the ride up, so I don't either. The elevator stops smoothly and the doors slide open. Blight pulls me into a supply closet.

"Did you talk to Lydia?" he asks.

"She wouldn't switch," I say with a scowl. "She's a coward. What about you and Truff?"

"Truff is steadily going insane," Blight answers. "In a year, he'll completely lose it. I don't think it would be wise to tell him anything."

"Well, so much for the getting the District Nine mentors," I say. "Maybe other rebels have spoken to the other District Nine victors that are here."

"Rebels?" Blight questions.

"This is a rebellion, right? That would make us rebels," I clarify.

"It makes the whole thing seem more real," Blight says.

"I was under the impression that it was already very real," I say. "It just makes sense to call ourselves rebels."

"I suppose it does," Blight shrugs. "Rebels. It has a nice ring to it."

"Obviously." I wave my hand in the air. "I know what I'm talking about."

Blight rolls his eyes ever so slightly, but I see it and scowl. He grins at me.

"From here on out, we're rebels. You with me?" he asks.

"Clearly. I was the one who came up with."

**Please review!**


	31. Part Three: Chapter Eleven

**If you didn't notice, I changed my username from PatnissEverlark to BooksBeforeLife. I'd also like to apologize in advance for the nausea this chapter will most likely give you. Enjoy!**

I shake my head in disgust as I watch Molli and Ursula start the fire. "They're practically sitting ducks, building a fire at this time of day. The smoke could be seen from nearly anywhere in the arena," I mutter.

"Relax," Blight says. "The only tribute anywhere near them is the little girl from Three."

One week into the games and the most recent death was on the second day. Either things speed up soon, or the gamemakers send something to bring them together.

"This is pissing me off," I growl. "I'm going to watch what's being shown live."

I walk over to where about half of the mentors are watching the live showing. Currently on the screen, Titus Commor is getting closer and closer to the clueless District Twelve boy, Cutcher Blu.

Titus hasn't eaten anything since the start of the games. Either he didn't get nearly as many sponsors as a kid of his size should or his mentors are too high or drunk to send him food. Most likely the latter.

Titus spots Cutcher kneeling down next to a stream, gulping down water. He pounces, dagger raised, and lands directly on top of the boy. He drives the dagger into the boys chest before pulling it out and stabbing him again. Titus gets a deranged look in his eyes that makes me shiver. He takes the dagger out of Cutcher's chest and cuts a strip off Cutcher's forearm. He takes a _bite_ out of it.

I wince and look at the ground. Titus's mentor appears horrified. Cecelia runs to the bathroom, hand covering her mouth. "That's disgusting," I hear Finnick whisper from a few seats away from me.

He cuts another strip in Cutcher's flesh and puts it in his mouth. I have to fight to keep my breakfast down.

All the while, Cutcher is slowly bleeding out. He's already lost too much blood to survive, but Titus didn't hit a lung or the heart, so he still has a couple of minutes to live. He moans as Titus cuts strips from his skin.

I clutch my stomach and whisper, "Oh my God."

"I think I'm going to puke," Finnick mutters.

Cutcher's cannon booms and Titus picks his dagger off of the ground. He cuts a hole in Cutcher's chest and starts eating his _insides_. Every single mentor turns away from the screen.

We return our focus to Titus and Cutcher when we hear a zap. The idiot gamemakers finally decide to stop him from eating the body. They continue with their zapping technique until they can retrieve what's left of Cutcher's body.

"That was gruesome." I'm startled to hear Finnick's voice next to me.

"You think?" I ask. "I believed we'd seen it all. That's the hunger games for you - full of surprises!"

"I feel bad for that poor boy's parents," Finnick says, surprising me.

"Why?"

"Well, wherever they are, they just watched their soon get cut up into little slices and eaten alive," Finnick explains.

"I meant why are you showing a sudden compassion for unfortunate families," I clarify.

He shrugs. "It's the fifth anniversary of my parents' death. I always think about grieving families today."

"I'm sorry," I say without thinking about it.

He shrugs. "It was awhile ago. I don't get really emotional over it anymore."

"I wish I didn't still get upset over the death of my family," I mutter.

"You've lost more people," he says. "Plus, I've had more time to recover."

"I suppose."

I move back to watch Molli, Aaron, Ursula, and Fabio. "Can you believe that?" Blight asks.

"Believe what?"

"Titus," he replies.

"I can believe," I say. "He was on the brink of starvation. I would've eaten whatever I could get my hands on. Anyway, he's clearly insane."

"You think?" Blight questions.

"Did you see the look he had before he ate Cutcher? He's obviously not right in the head," I say.

"You don't know everything, Johanna," Blight snaps at me.

That is obviously meant to be the end of the conversation, so I return my gaze to the screen. "That's the twelfth one right?" Fabio asks, in regards to the cannon that previously went off.

"Yeah," Ursula replies. "Half of us our gone."

"Who's left besides us?" Aaron asks.

Ursula answers him, "Five careers, both from Ten, and someone else."

"The twelve-year-old from Three," Fabio says. "She's the other one."

"Do you think most tributes went to the mountains?" Ursula asks. "You know, since we haven't really seen anyone since the bloodbath."

"Probably," Molli replies. "The careers could be moving around a lot, though."

"I'm going to go look around for a place to make camp," Ursula says abruptly.

"I'll come with you," Molli announces.

Fabio and Aaron each take a cracker and nibble on it. "Do you think any of us have a shot at winning?" Aaron whispers to Fabio.

"Ursula and Molli both have a little chance. They can kind of fight and have strong will power," Fabio replies.

"What about you and me?"

Fabio shakes his head. "No. I hate to dampen your already poor spirits, but we're both gonna die. It'd take a miracle for us to win. I'm pretty sure whatever being acts upon miracles would send one to the twelve-year-old if they had to send one to one of us. Plus, miracles aren't always enough. Sorry, but we have no shot."

"You're a really perky person, aren't you?" Aaron questions, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Dude, I cried every day I was in the Capitol. You're too innocent to do any real harm and you can't really do much physically. I don't have the will to win and you don't have the fitness."

"Could you stop raining on my parade? Thank you."

"Johanna," Blight says to me. "The Careers are getting dangerously close to Ursula and Molli."

"You told me that no one was near them," I hiss at him.

"That was thirty minutes ago. The Careers are now," he replies. "They're less than -"

A scream from Molli cuts him off. The boy from Four threw a spear at her chest. Ursula glances down at Molli's body before sprinting back in the direction of Fabio and Aaron. The Careers follow her. She breaks through the trees and sees Fabio and Aaron sitting on a rock. "_Run!_" she screams.

**Sorry for that disgusting chapter. Please review anyway!**


	32. Part Three: Chapter Twelve

Fabio and Aaron leap off the rock and start running next to Ursula. The Careers are gaining on them at a steady pace. Ursula glances over her shoulder and curses. She pulls the dagger from her belt and turns around.

"Keep going," she shouts to Fabio and Aaron. They quickly oblige.

"She knows she's about to die, right?" I say to Blight.

"Of course," he replies. "She's not stupid. She's probably trying to give Aaron and Fabio time to escape."

"Either that or she wants to go down fighting," I mutter.

"That's probably more likely," Blight admits. "She's not selfless. She wants to make an impression."

"No one pays any attention to a runner," I say.

Ursula faces off with the District One girl and the District Four boy, Emerald Halter and Ritch Catcher. The other three chase after Fabio and Aaron.

Ursula holds out her dagger, her hand steady. No one's going to deny her bravery. Emerald slashes out at Ursula's head with her whip, but Ursula ducks, causing the whip to wrap around Ritch's shoulder. He cries out in pain, and Ursula uses the momentary distraction to slit his throat. She dips under Emerald's arm and takes off running in the opposite direction. Emerald looks from Ursula's body, disappearing into the foliage, and the rest of her alliance, still chasing after Fabio and Aaron. With a last glance in Ursula's direction, she charges after Fabio and Aaron.

I lay my arms over the back of my chair and bite my lip. "I did not think she would find away out of that, let alone kill a Career."

"Yeah, well, Fabio might not," Blight snaps. "So shut up, I'm trying to watch."

_BOOM!_ Ritch's cannon goes off.

Fabio is practically dragging Aaron along. "Come on," Fabio growls. "How much do you want to bet that was Ursula's cannon?! Do you want to be next?!"

"I'm trying," Aaron pants. His foot snags on a root and he falls on his face. "Fabio!"

Fabio crouches down next to him, before glancing behind them. His eyes widen as he sees how close the Careers are to them. Aaron's still struggling to pull his foot out of the root.

"I-I'm sorry," Fabio stutters as he runs away.

"Fabio," Aaron yells, but Fabio doesn't even look back.

The District Two boy, Tanner Frish, slides his sword in between Aaron's shoulder blades. _BOOM!_

The other two Careers, Polyester Welsh and Carlene Miro, don't even bother chasing after Fabio.

"Where's Ritch?" Polyester asks Emerald.

"Dead," she replies. "The girl from Seven got him. She was tougher than we thought."

"So she got away?" Tanner questions. "You let her get away?!"

"I didn't have much of a choice," Emerald snaps.

"Don't be so hard on her," Carlene says. "You've screwed up too. Now, there's only nine of us left. Besides, Ritch was probably more competition for us than the District Seven girl. Emerald underestimated her. None of us will make that mistake again."

"Let's just move on," Tanner mutters. "We'll get 'em later."

"Those were some nice moves with the dagger," Finnick says from behind me, making me jump. "Where'd she learn 'em?"

"You were watching?" I ask.

"Of course, I was watching," he answers. "She killed my tribute."

"Well, yours didn't put up a great fight," I say. "And I have no idea where she learned how to use a dagger."

"Might be beginners luck," Finnick says.

"Maybe."

"To be honest, I thought that Ritch would put up more of a fight. I mean he was a Career," I say.

"That's not fair. Ursula surprised him. He didn't expect her to know how to use a weapon," Finnick defends his tribute.

"Aren't Careers supposed to be 'prepared' for anything?" I question. "He clearly wasn't."

"Well, he wasn't the brightest Career," Finnick says. "That's hardly his fault."

"It kind of is."

"Most Careers aren't geniuses. They rely on their battle skills, and pay no attention to tactic or strategy."

"You say that as if you're any different," I say to him.

"I'm smarter than the average Career," Finnick insists.

"Whatever makes you happy, Finnick."

"God, why do I even talk to you anymore? You're so mean," he tells me with no conviction whatsoever.

"Indeed, I am."

**I am so sorry. This chapter was short, it sucked, and it took me about a month to update. It's not like very many people read it, but I'm still sorry.**


End file.
